Are there any OTHER Gatekeepers?
by PsychoticSushi
Summary: After an encounter with a creepy guy in a black hooded cape, Kiera Sage ends up running into Donald and Goofy, of all things! Oh, and some annoying guy who, sadly, she's forced to team up with to save BOTH their asses. IF they don't kill each other first.
1. Prologue

**Why, hello there. **

**This may SEEM like your usual OC, but i assure you, none of them are written quite like mine.**

**Trust me; I've read them.**

**This might confuse you, but it'll make more sense after the next chapp, I promise!**

**Enjoy.**

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___________

* * *

_PROLOGUE_

_Running, running, running. Was there no way out of this place? How had they gotten here, anyways?_

_Sora couldn't even remember at this point. _

"_It's almost like a giant maze, but I feel like the exit's right in front of us," He mumbled to himself. _

_His companions nodded in agreement. _

_Sora leaned against a wall, but it turned out to be a door, swinging open to reveal an extremely white and pristine room._

_All three exchanged a glance, then shrugged and waltzed in, shutting the door behind them as the voices grew louder._

_Maybe this was their way out._

_Sora heard a giggle, and did a complete about-face to find a tiny blonde girl sitting at a desk, covered with sketches. _

_She brought her blue eyes up to meet his. "Well. About time, Sora. I was wondering how long you would take."_

"_..Do I know you?"_

"_No, I'm sure you don't," she commented casually, blowing on her current work to get the excess shavings off._

_He backed slowly towards the door. "Right.."_

"_I wouldn't, if I were you," she snapped, and he froze. _

_She smiled. "Trust me. I don't think you want them to do it. If I do it, it'll be over very quick," she told him matter-of-factly._

_Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Trust you? Not likely."_

"_Hope you're not expecting help," she commented, holding up her picture for emphasis._

_It was a sketch of Sora and his two friends, right down to the smallest detail, but there was a "pause" symbol in the corner._

_He looked to his friends, but his face fell. They were, in fact, frozen. Just like in her picture._

"_How did you...?"_

"_It's what I do. Now, let's just make this easy, Sora. Close your eyes and count to ten. I should be done by then, and you'll be sleeping peacefully."_

"_Yeah right!" He shouted, waving his Keyblade, assuming a battle stance._

_The blonde girl sighed and stood up. Before either of them could make a move, they heard a voice. It was loud and strong, yet shaking with heavy emotion. "STOP!!!!" It screamed. _

_The blonde's face broke out into a cheerful smile. "Well, looks like she surrendered you herself. This is good. It means I am closer to meeting her...Well, goodnight Sora."_

_

* * *

_

_MEANWHILE_

"_Any boyfriends I should know about?" _

_She rolled her eyes. "Actually, yes, dad. His name is Snake. We're thinking of running off together."_

_Dad pretended to be taking her seriously. "Really now? Where to?"_

"_He has a trailer in Vegas with our names on it. Yeah, we might get married while we're there."_

"_You're not pregnant, are you?"_

"_Not yet." _

"_Well, are you- hahahaha," he cut off, not able to play serious anymore. _

_Kiera smiled at her father, trying to focus on the road. Due to his broken arm, she was driving them home today. _

_That's right; a thirteen-year-old girl on the bumpy roads of Memphis. And of course it would be pouring. _

_She saw something slide across her line of vision, and squinted at it. Was that a cat??_

_No way. It would have to be one fucked-up cat.._

_All of a sudden, the thing was on the windshield, and they both screamed as she lost control of the wheel._

_It was like slow-motion. The car flipped a couple times, from what she could gather, and then she blacked out._

_When she regained her consciousness, only a minute or so later, she desperately clawed her way out of the overturned car. "Dad? Dad, are you.."_

_Kiera trailed off; he was gone. _

_Not just dead. Gone. _

_"...Where are you?!" She screamed, her tears mixing with the rain._

_She noticed the creature who had caused her accident, and it charged towards her. _

_Out of options, she raised a hand. "STOP!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs._

_For a moment, she felt a surge of power, leaving a tingly feeling in its wake. The creature backed away._

_Kiera's head hit the pavement, hearing sirens in the background._

_

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**Ooooh. Heavy, man.**

**Next chapter WILL be better, I promise!**

**Review!**


	2. Strange Happenings

_**One Year Later...**_

Kiera sighed heavily as she pulled up to her house. Still a minor. Surprisingly, still driving.

Not _everything _had changed since the accident.

She opened her front door to see her mom passed out on the couch. Still. For a split second, as always, her heart raced as she assessed whether or not her mom was still alive.

Finally, her mom snored, and Kiera sighed with relief. Thank God. Even though mom quit her job, both as a careerwoman and, ultimately, a good mom, she was still Kiera's only guardian.

Worthless or not, she'd take her mom over social services any day.

As if on cue, she snored loudly, waking herself up. "Hey momma."

* * *

Ms. Sage blinked at her daughter. "I brought home about a hundred fifty today and get three hundred at the end of the week. You know, on Sunday? The day your nephew turns sixteen?" Kiera prompted.

Mom simply nodded and shuffled into the kitchen. "Did you pick up some beer? We're out."

"I know. You yelled at me about it this morning before school. Then you remembered I don't drink and went back to the den," she informed her mother as she handed her a towel.

"You have a little dip on your face there, momma," she commented as she restocked the alarmingly empty fridge with beer, cheese and milk. All she could buy for the time being.

The only reason she even _bought _the stupid beers was because she needed to be in bed early and couldn't fall asleep if mom kept asking her WHERE the beer was, and WHY it's not in the fridge waiting for her, and WHEN she'd get her poor grieving mother some more.

"And, you know, I'm glad you're just _so _fascinated with the beer and not me. Seriously. I am. It's doing _wonders _for my emotional growth," Kiera commented as she ate the last three Saltine crackers.

Watching her mom frantically retrieve a beer always made her laugh, even though she hated how her mom had turned out since the car accident.

She sorted through the mail; bills and junk/scams. How depressing.

* * *

The next morning, her 150 bucks all went into two of the bills; the rest were paid off with her bank account her parents had started when she was six.

"So much for college. At this rate, I'll be the only hobo who can't afford a cardboard box to live in around here," Kiera muttered darkly as she parked in the school parking lot.

After gym, Kiera was the last one to finish her shower. Wrapping herself in a towel, she cautiously made her way to her gym locker. Water always covered the floor around here.

Though she was quite obviously alone, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

Glancing in all directions only proved that no one was there and that it _was _possible to get a cramp in your neck.

But before changing, she noticed a nearby shadow that was darker than the others.

_That's odd..._

Kiera stepped into it curiously, wiggling an arm and leg around in it; nothing. When she stepped back into the fluorescent lighting, her ankle stung.

She was bleeding.

_Did I cut it on something?? Hmm.._

"Strange happenings.."

* * *

As the days rolled on, the weird events just got weirder and weirder.

At one point, she even heard an unfamiliar male voice calling her name when she was Seth at the movies. The weird part? She had heard it in the _empty girls' bathroom_.

Kiera shuddered at the thought, then blocked it from her mind.

_It's Matt's birthday. Sure, it's storming, and it's being held at the creepy building that used to be a church, and it's freezing for October here, but hey!_

She was gonna be happy for her cousin, dammit!

At least, she would try.

Things were fine, and kind of fun even, until she tried to find the bathroom.

That was conveniently located by the creepy-potentially-haunted-chapel-part of the building.

The old playground sets could still be seen through the large windows, overgrown with vines and ivy. Kiera shivered.

The rain, thunder, lightning, and broken lights in the hallway made it feel so..._ominous _around here.

"...Kiera..."

She jumped. Where was that coming from??

She slowly edged toward the chapel.

_**PING**_!

Kiera jumped again. "Jeez! Just a leak...They should _really _fix that," she muttereed.

"Kiera."

The voice was inside the darkest room?! "Like hell I'm going in there!!"

She turned around and was face-to-face with a shadow-like creature.

* * *

It shivered with excitement; she let out a shriek and ran towards the sliding-glass door that led towards the parking lot.

The creature somehow predicted she'd do that and blocked her path.

It swung at her. Dark energy crackled the air, narrowly missing her. Kiera shuddered and dashed towards the backyard instead. "Sorry, Matt, saving my ass comes before your sweet sixteen!!"

Out of nowhere, though, she tripped over something and sprawled in mid-air, hitting her head on the cracked concrete.

"Ugghh..."

Vision blurring, Kiera saw a dark-hooded figure walk towards her. "About time you stayed still. This must be the longest you've rested for about a year, eh, Kiera?"

He took off his cloak and draped it over her; she was shivering. He gently slung her over his shoulder, but her eyes had already closed, fast asleep.

"Namine will practically wet herself when she sees you.."

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS ****LATER...**_

"Mmmm....where am I?"

Kiera stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling, waiting for the dull roar in her ears to die. When it finally did so, she slowly sat up.

She winced and rubbed her head tenderly; she always HAD been a clutz.

But what _was _this place? How did she get here??

"It's morning already? Wow. I must've hit the ground pretty fricking hard..."

She drew the black coak tighter around her, slipping her arms through the sleeves.

It fit a bit too big, but nicely all the same. Shame she didn't remember where it had come from...

Kiera stood up; she could see that the room she had been passed out in was lined with various electronics.

"Oh. My. Word. Am I in an '80s nerd's basement?? Holy crap. I went back in time!!!"

* * *

She looked at a clock; 9:17 am. Kiera suddenly remembered the shadow-creature and her pulse quickened. Was it here, too? Still looking for her??!

Kiera slowly and nervously took a few steps back. She wasn't quite as weak, but she didn't exactly feel like Hercules at the moment.

She rammed right into someone, and spun around with a yell.

They faced each other at the same time, and she pointed shakily at the character in front of her. "H-H-Holy crap!!! It's...It's Goofy!?!"

* * *

Goofy pointed at her, eyes just as wide. "It's another member of the-"

Some random dude she hadn't noticed before shushed him. "Act. _Casual_."

Goofy nodded quickly. "Oh, uh, right. I mean, uh....well, gawrsh, how do you know ME?!"

The dude sighed and shook his head. "Very casual, indeed. I'm sure she's _terrified _of us now."

Kiera cocked an eyebrow, ignoring the unimportant guy. "I used to go to Disney World every year. Trust me, I know who you are."

Donald-_ Donald Duck, HOLY CRAP_- elbowed Goofy mysteriously. "Disney World? What's that?!"

"Beats me."

The boy (whose pants were a bit too short for such baggy pants, she noticed) sighed. "Okay, well, anyway. It's probably a trick."

Now she was confused. Did he seriously think _she _was a threat? In a strange way, she was a bit flattered.

Her proud expression faded as he shot her an angry and determined glare. "What did you last hear about the King? Or Riku?"

Kiera blinked dumbly, then cleared her throat nervously. "..Well, um...if by 'King', you're trying to make a stupid Memphis joke, I _know _Elvis is dead!! As for this Riku person...that must be a Northerner joke or something...UNLESS...are you European??"

He stared blankly at her. "...WHAT?!"

* * *

Kiera sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Look, I'm sorry, but I really don't have time for this. My head is fricking _killing _me from where I hit it earlier. Unless you have some Tylenol, I best be on my way home. Food to buy, bills to pay.."

He gave her a weird look. "You can't be much older than me. I'm 15."

"Well, congratu-fricking-lations. We're expecting a call from Obama any minute now. I am too, as a matter of fact, since _I'm _15. We can throw a _party _in honor of our specialness!" She retorted moodily.

He just smirked, nudging Goofy and Donald. "So. THAT'S what they let this one join for. To get them food and pay bills!"

They chuckled (well, in Goofy's case, guffawed), and Kiera groaned. "HUH?? You're making me all confused!!"

Donald slowly stopped laughing and glanced between the two. "...You know, I'm starting to think she's _not _a member of the Organization."

_Organization??_

Kiera suddenly gasped. "Oh. My. Sugar-Honey-Iced-Tea!! Is this the KKK hideout?!"

* * *

They blinked dumbly at her before the boy turned back to his friends. Before he could say anything, however, three of those stupid shadow-creatures popped into existence, one on each side of Kiera.

"Ahhh!! Not them _again_!!"

Before she could truly spazz out, the boy had destroyed all three with some weird weapon that looked strangely like...

Kiera poked it in interest. "Whoa. Is that a key? What the heck kind of lock does _this thing _go to?!"

He gaped at her, then looked at Donald and Goofy. "If she IS a Member, she's the _dumbest _one by far..."

"HEY!! Standing right here, you jerk!"

She planted her hands on her hips and gave all three of them a hard glare. "And could you PUH-LEASE stop with all this blasted Organization crap?! I have absolutely NO IDEA what the heck you're talking about!!"

He stared at her for a really long time, then sighed. "...Oh. I guess I apologize, then."

_You guess?? Humph._

"Now, if you'll excuse us-"

Kiera cut him off by waving a hand as if stopping traffic. "Whoa. Whoa. WHOA. You're not going ANYWHERE till you tell me where I am!!"

Goofy scratched one of his ears. "Well, gawrsh! All WE know is that we were asleep for, I reckon, a year. And we have no idea how we ended up in this here mansion, same as you.."

Kiera drooped. "...You're serious."

"Did he stutter?" Donald replied impatiently.

Kiera groaned, hanging her head. "Oh good God. Mom is gonna KILL me once she realizes I'm not there!!"

_...IF she notices..._


	3. Dazed and Confused!

**A little note: Yes, I've played the game. ....Most of it!**

**Though this fic'll mainly follow the game's plot and whatnot, it won''t be exactly the same, and the plot will change a bit due to Kiera and all.**

**But still! Give it a chance!**

**Enjoy.**

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After parting ways with the Disney characters and that _extremely _annoying jerk, Kiera started spazzing out, wandering aimlessly through the stupid town.

"Crap. _Crap_! What if there are more of those _thingies _here?! Oh crap, oh _crap_, OH CRAP!!! I'm lost?! I'm lost! How did I even _get _here?! All I remember is a big shadowy thing, spinning, falling, and...and...that's it?! Yeah, that's it. Argh, I HATE THIS!!"

Kiera paused mid-rant and looked around before finding a sign right above her. "Oh. That's convenient. 'Twilight Town'," she read slowly.

"Left to Station Heights, right to the station. Hmm...Maybe I can figure some of this crap out there.."

When Kiera arrived, THEY were there as well.

She groaned, then perked up.

_Wait a minute....that guy destroyed the shadow-creatures! He MUST know what they are. He could help me..._

She sighed and bit her lip with a whine, trying to find a way out of it. She wasn't looking forward to this too much. But logic won over, and she stomped through the double doors miserably.

_I'll have to play the Guilt Card very carefully for this one.._

* * *

Kiera waited patiently as he said goodbye to his friends, then ran after them. "Hey, wait!"

He glanced around and sighed as his eyes landed on her. "Oh. It's, uh, Clueless Member, right?"

Kiera crossed her arms, trying extremely hard not to shoot back a smart-ass comment. "Look, I have no idea where I am, and those shadow-thing-a-ma-bobbers keep coming after me. I won't be too much trouble, I promise! Besides..."

"You _did _throw a lot of insults and a few accusations at her," Goofy offered guiltily, to which Kiera nodded slowly.

_Thank you Goofy, I LOVE you!_

She widened her brown eyes innocently, peering up at him. "Please??"

The boy sighed and held the train door open for her as she hopped onto the platform cheerfully. "Hop on. I never _did _like redheads.."

Donald snickered as he followed her inside. "Isn't _Kairi _a redhead, Sora?"

Goofy laughed as well as his face turned red. "Actually, it's pinkish-brown. It changes sometimes between the two," he muttered defiantly.

Kiera smirked. "Oooh, who's _Kairi_?" She asked slyly.

"NO ONE," He said quickly, before yelling out "Are we there yet?!" To nobody in particular.

Kiera stared out the window. _There goes Twilight Town..._

"Sora's usually pretty nice," Goofy informed Kiera.

"We're all moody," Donald replied. She nodded, continuing to watch Twilight Town fade in the distance. "Whatever funk he's in, I hope he gets out of it..."

* * *

They soon arrived to whatever their destination was, and Sora seemed a bit better already. Kiera got off the train, and jumped in surprise as it sped off.

She and Sora exchanged a nervous laugh, and he ruffled his hair anxiously. "...There goes our ride.."

Kiera heard someone mumbling, and turned around. "Does anyone else hear that? Or is it just the voices in my head again..."

Everyone stared at her, to which she sighed impatiently. "JOKING, people!"

Kiera waved them off as she stomped towards the noise. "Sarcasm is useless around here? I think I might die..."

They finally reached the front of the castle, only to have some guy's impossibly fat ass in their view. "Charming," Kiera muttered moodily.

"Hey, you! What're you doing here?" Sora asked.

He jumped, turned around, and Kiera gasped. "PETE?!" She, Donald, and Goofy exclaimed in unison.

Sora looked at them. "You know this guy?"

"He's always caused trouble. The King banished him to another dimension years ago...I wonder how he escaped..."

Kiera blinked at them. "...Uh, right...Yeah!"

"To answer your question, the great Yen Sid lives here." More gasps from the Disney characters to her right. "You must be trying to turn him into a Heartless!"

_A what??_

She was about to ask, but a battle quickly ensued between Sora and Pete's henchman.

* * *

Sora's keyblade really was impressive. "This isn't over!" Pete yelled as he retreated. "What a pansy," Kiera commented as they entered the huge castle.

She and Sora gaped in amazement as they followed Donald, who seemed to know exactly where to go.

"Hmm...Yen Sid...Hey! Isn't that the guy from the Sorcerer's Apprentice? You know, that cartoon with the magic sorcerer's hat and the possessed brooms and such?"

"I don't know about all that, but he taught the King almost all the magic he knows," Donald replied.

Whatever.

She knew she was right as soon as Goofy opened the door. The wizard glanced up and stared at each of them in turn.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy. I've been expecting you."

When his gaze fell on Kiera, he scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Kiera Sage, I presume."

* * *

_Whoa!_

"How do you know my name?" She asked worriedly.

"Oh, I've long awaited this. It's been a seed of curiosity for many years, and you've just confirmed it."

"Confirmed what, exactly?"

Yen Sid chuckled. "All in time. First..you three must be wondering what all has happened in your absence."

A hologram of the shadow-creatures popped up randomly, making Kiera jump. "It also wouldn't hurt to remind you of the enemies you face. These are Heartless."

Oh. So _that's _what those are.

"They are what happens when you give in to the darkness in your heart." Some weird, gray creatures that couldn't seem to stay still appeared next.

"When someone becomes a Heartless, the Nobodies are what's left behind. There are many forms of Heartless and Nobodies, of course."

A hooded figure appeared in their place, making Kiera's head throb. "And these, the biggest threat..."

"Organization XIII," Sora muttered. Kiera suddenly remembered a hooded man kidnapping her that rainy afternoon. Was it yesterday??

_How could I forget that?! He's the reason I'm here in the first place!_

Kiera quickly shrugged out of the cloak, disgusted, and glared dejectedly at it as it lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. "Ugh. No _wonder _you were all mad at me!"

"Yes, I can see why," Yen Sid agreed in a wise voice. "They don't bear good memories for any of you. The Organization was formed by thirteen Nobodies. Their goal is to obtain Sora's heart and the Keyblade, as per usual...but there seems to be more to it as of late."

He looked at Kiera thoughtfully. "And your arrival might very well be a part of it."


	4. You Mean Like in GHOSTBUSTERS?

**Onward with the story!**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"What's so special about me?" Kiera asked doubtfully, and glared at Sora as he nodded in agreement.

Yen Sid cleared his throat. "In a moment. Second thing's second; those seem to be a bit unsuitable for your journey, Sora. This quest will be twice as hard as your first."

They all drooped at that, even Kiera. "Behind that door, you will find three kind fairies. They'll patch you up."

Yen Sid nodded at Kiera with a smile. "Go on."

* * *

Kiera should have known he meant the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty. They saw Kiera first, and their eyes widened.

"My, my. Is that..??" "Yes, Fauna, I believe it is," Flora replied happily. "Oh, we're so glad to actually meet you!"

Kiera glanced at Sora in confusion. "Um...okay?"

They noticed Sora and sighed in relief. "Oh, good. We _knew _you would find her!"

"....Yeaaahhh," they said slowly, both totally lost as to what they were so happy about.

The fairies tsked at them. "Goodness gracious! Those clothes are hardly suitable for all the challenges you two might face!"

Merriweather nodded determinedly. "Yes. Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

Kiera's head was REALLY throbbing now, after listening to them quarrel over Sora. Although, his expression made her laugh every time his clothes started heading for the pink end of the color spectrum.

"Y'know, I think pink's most definitely your color, Sora," she commented slyly.

That did it.

"JUST DECIDE!!" He shouted. They jumped, the petty fighting out of their systems now. "Oh, yes, dear. Together now!"

Kiera's jaw dropped. His outfit was so cool! His apparently signature red shorts were the appropriate length, and he had a cool vest theme going on, black and yellow and red. His shoes were different as well.

Her speechlessness faded when Flora raised her wand in her direction.

"Oh...now, what to do with _you_, dear?? Hmmm..."

"A dress wouldn't do, I suppose," Fauna asked her sisters thoughtfully.

"No, of _course_ not, Fauna dear!"

"Hmm...indeed.."

Suddenly, they seemed to have the same idea and zapped her at the exact same time. She was overcome with a light tingly feeling.

"Oh, would you look at that!" They said, obviously pleased with their work.

They had somehow conjured up an emerald green, corseted-looking shirt with black and blue layered underneath.

Her shorts were black, as were her shoes. Speaking of the shoes, they were designed a bit like Sora's, with little blue and red knicknacks on them.

Along with some random multi-colored bracelets was a red, lace-like ribbon, holding a small charm against her collarbone.

_Not bad. Not bad at all._

"Both outfits have certain powers. As for that necklace, I think you'll find it makes it much easier to harness and control your..._affinities_," Flora explained smoothly.

"I believe Yen Sid is waiting," Merriweather said quickly before Kiera could ask about her _affinities_.

Kiera smiled smugly at Sora. "They didn't take long at all with me. And not a _hint _of pink, either!" He shrugged. "Guess that means you're just _that _easy."

"Yep! Hey..._wait _a minute..HEY!!" "What? I just said you were _easy_. Is there something you should share with us?" Sora asked innocently.

Goofy grinned, totally oblivious to the pervertedness of the conversation. "I do love a good story."

Kiera just huffed moodily and followed them through the door, ignoring Sora's snickering. "Maybe later.."

* * *

Yen Sid looked them over and nodded. "Well done."

Not like _they _did anything.

"Um, Yen Sid, I don't mean to be a _nudge_, but...what exactly makes me so 'special'?" Kiera asked, using air quotes.

"Even _I _can answer that one," Sora muttered under his breath, and she promptly ignored him.

Yen Sid did as well. "Hmm. I guess the best way is to show you."

He glanced at Sora and seemed to have a lightbulb moment. "Sora. What did you first think of Kiera?"

Sora glanced at her warily before answering. "Do you want me to honestly answer that?" "If you please." "Well...confusing, annoying, _a slightly defective Organization XIII member_," he finished quikly.

Kiera glared at him. "Hey!"

"It was the _truth_!"

"Whatever. Just stop talking! Every other word is an insult, anyway! You wanna know what I thought of _you_?!"

As she began to count them off on her fingers, Kiera didn't notice Sora's panicked expression and obvious attempts to speak.

"Hmm, lemme see. Oh yeah! Aggressive, annoying, rude, obnoxious, _totally _crazy, ….what's _that _face for?!" She asked impatiently, wanting to finish off her list with a final blow.

Yen Sid simply smiled, as if he had hoped this would happen. "Just as I thought. Tell him to speak, Kiera. Go ahead."

"Um...speak, Sora?"

"DUDE!!" He yelled out of nowhere. He opened and closed his mouth, as if making sure it could still work, and Kiera sweatdropped.

"Interesting. Did I mention I thought you were _totally crazy_?"

Yen Sid chuckled. "Isn't it intriguing how they described the exact opposite of each other's true character? Allow me to explain. He's not...'totally crazy'. Sora is the chosen weilder of the Keyblade. The main component in opening the Door of Light, chosen by the Key itself, might I add."

He then turned his gaze from Sora to Kiera. "But _you_, Kiera Reilly Sage, are the Gatekeeper."

It was dead quiet as they tried to wrap their heads around that. Kiera was the first to speak. "..Like...in _Ghostbusters_?!"

* * *

He chuckled, and Sora sweatdropped. "Not quite. Just watch. Tell him to do something. Anything, as long as it's a direct command."

"Um...cross your eyes and stick out your tongue?" Sora almost instantly did so, and Kiera laughed with excitement at the evil plans forming in her head.

"Jump on one foot! Sit! Play dead!"

"Al_right_, we get it!" Sora yelled from his stiff dead position on the ground, and Kiera cleared her throat.

"Oh. Right. Sorry. Get back up."

Not able to resist, she patted the top of his head. "Good boy!"

"ONE MORE TIME, and I _swear _I'll kick your a-"

"AS YOU CAN SEE," Yen Sid began importantly, making them both instinctively jump to attention.

"Kiera can make you do things through command, whether it be _act like a dog_, run ten miles, ...make your Keyblade disappear...or hand it over to the Organization," he stated meaningfully.

They exchanged a glance. "So you see why the Organization has become so interested. Thanks to the charm given to you by the fairies, the commands will only work if you mean them as such, which saves us from a smart comment turning into a forced command. Unfortunately, this ability works _only _between you and Sora."

They both drooped at that. "There go awesome battle skills!!" "There goes my _freedom_!!"

"_Also_..as Gatekeeper, it's a _very _good thing you two managed to cross paths. Your abilities are too valuable to be in corrupt hands."

The wise wizard stood. "I believe it is time to take your leave. Your old ship is waiting through that door."

_Ship?? _

_...Holy crap. They teamed up with Peter Pan?! _

This caused Kiera to brighten and follow them without complaint.


	5. In Which Kiera Gets A Lot Of Compliments

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Whoa.."

Donald quacked in agreement. "It's a bit.._complex_."

Goofy secretively nudged Sora. "Yen Sid said to make course for Hollow Bastion. Merlin'll tell us more about you and Kiera's connection."

"Psh, _what _connection?" They muttered at the same time. They exchanged a look, and Kiera cleared her throat and pointed to a random sign on the wall. "I'm just gonna.."

She went to read it, careful to stay within earshot of the conversation.

"We can steer. Chip and Dale can clear the path, just like old times. Why don't ya show her around?"

Kiera kept her gaze on the sign as if it were extremely interesting as Sora looked at her. He sighed as if it were a death sentence. "_Fiiinnee_."

_I thought they said he was nice!_

Kiera couldn't tell anyone for the life of her what that fricking sign said.

* * *

"...And this is where we sleep, if it's a long way or we're just wiped out." Kiera nodded. "I fall under the second category. Wow, this ship really IS complex. That's, what, eight rooms?"

"Yeah," he answered, sounding genuinely surprised that she cared enough to pay attention. She sweatdropped. "You know, I was half expecting Peter Pan's ship or something, not a...Gummi Ship."

The aforementioned ship shuddered; there were explosions nearby. "...._That _would be Chip and Dale. The old paths we used last time are blocked, so they're having to make new ones," Sora explained.

Kiera nodded quickly and strolled to one of the hammocks. "Oh. Well, um...thanks for showing me around, but my head's killing me, sooo.."

"Uh, yeah, go ahead."

It was _so_ awkward to talk with someone when you knew they thought your personality was the total opposite of what it was.

* * *

Kiera had a thankfully short dream about her mom being so mad about having no beer in the fridge that she accidentally set the house on fire.

When she jolted awake, she had to convince herself for a good half-hour that it wasn't real. Kiera had de-ja-vu dreams all the time. She just hoped that one wasn't one of them.

Donald's triumphant quack interrupted her thoughts. "And YOU said I couldn't drive!"

_We must be here._

She sighed and jumped off the hammock. "Off we go..."

* * *

Hollow Bastion was interesting. The local Heartless were the first to greet them. "Kill 'em, kill 'em!!"

Sora sighed as he wiped out the creatures with ease. "You sound like I'm your roach killer or something."

Well, in a way, he was, but she decided not to comment on it. "With all these Heartless frolicking around, maybe we should check up on these friends of yours," Kiera pointed out.

_That_ got them into a full-out sprint.

* * *

"Merlin, I found him! He's got some _girl _with him," Yuffy added questioningly.

Merlin poofed in out of nowhere. "Ah, _some girl_, you say? Hmm- oh!" He adjusted his spectacles as if making sure he was really seeing her. "Why, if it isn't Kiera Sage!"

"The Gatekeeper?!" Yuffy and Leon exclaimed at the same time.

"Since when are you so famous??" Sora whispered. "The _hell _if I know," she whispered back.

Merlin smiled warmly. "Welcome, my dear!"

"And she was 'famous' since the King theorized her," Leon added, leaning casually against the wall.

"The KING?!" The other three exclaimed. Kiera simply nodded casually. "Alright. Cool. I was _theorized_."

A pretty girl in light pink smiled her way. "Oh, she's lovely."

_Well, __she__ must be easily impressed_.

Sora seemed to be thinking along the same lines judging by that look on his face, which made her want to smack him just for the hell of it.

"I'm sure you're confused about all this, so I shall make it quite simple. Every key opens a lock, and every key and lock have some sort of keeper, no matter what form that keeper may take. So, the King had a thought; if keys have keepers, who was to say Sora, who is also a key to opening the Door of Light, was any exception to this principle?"

The two teens slowly tried their best to process all that, and he paused before continuing.

"Though it seems your abilities in particular are _far _beyond that of an average Keeper, the basic principle still remains. So, the more we delved into the matter, the more we came to realize how dangerous you could be."

He sighed. "Organization XIII somehow got wind of all this about a year or two ago, and we believe they've been attempting to apprehend you ever since, and are still extremely interested. Now more than ever. So, as I'm sure the wise Yen Sid has already pointed out, we're _very _fortunate you two crossed paths."

* * *

Kiera and Sora glanced at each other, and she nodded slowly. "I _think _I get it. But..I know I can basically command Sora,- which, don't get me wrong, that's gonna be like _Christmas_ for me-, but what are my 'other abilities' you mentioned?"

Merlin scratched his beard in thought as Sora drooped at the prospect of being 'commanded' for quite a while.

"Well, most of them are quite unknown so far. But I _do _know you're very powerful."

"So...lemme get this straight. Sora can generate this Keyblade, which makes sense since he's the key to the Door of Light. Does that mean I can generate a...a...giant picket fence or something?"

Merlin laughed. "If you wanted to, I suppose. You see, my dear, your greatest weapon is _literally _your mind. For example. What comes to mind when I say...."

"Yellow?" Yuffy offered.

Merlin hesitantly nodded and held out a palm. "Okay, yellow. Focus on it, and-" Before he could even finish instructing her, a container of Pancho's Cheese Dip appeared in Merlin's hand.

Everyone but Merlin sweatdropped. "I have a weird imagination, so what?" She said defensively.

Merlin laughed. "No, that's wonderful, Kiera. So you see, you can summon certain things at will."

"But don't go AWOL with it, too much summoning will severely drain your strength," Leon warned.

Kiera nodded. "Gotchya." He pushed himself off the wall and cocked his head towards the exit. "Hey, Sora, come with me. I wanna show you something. You two, too."

* * *

While they waited for the other four to get back, Aerith- the pink girl- and Yuffie helped her learn the abilities they already knew about.

Inbetween, Merlin would ask a question or two that Kiera guessed would help him figure out some more abilities.

Leon stopped by quickly. "I've gotta go. Something came up, the other three should be back soon. It was great to finally meet you, Kiera."

"Thanks, the same."

Kiera noticed he had given Yuffie some cards. Almost five seconds later, the other three slid in. "Where's-" "_Just _missed him. He wanted to give you these." Yuffie explained cheerfully as she handed all of them a card.

"'Honorary member of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Group.' Cool!"

Suddenly, Sora's card started to glow. "This must be what Yen Sid meant by portal-openers!"

His keyblade appeared, and a beam of light connected it to the card. A pattern appeared on the floor, and good energy crackled around them. It made her tingle. And then it was all gone as quick as it had come.

"...Another path opened?" She guessed.

"Yep. Time to go."

As they said goodbyes and got ready to leave, Merlin stopped Kiera. "One more thing, my dear. If the Organization or any Nobody captures you, which is quite likely, they'll try to turn you into one of them." She had figured as much, and nodded.

"I know of the darkness in your heart, and it's not your fault. Just remember that. No matter what they tell you, it was nothing that could have been caused by- nor prevented by- you. Do not succumb to that darkness, even as it surrounds and overwhelms you. Just...remember that. You'll understand soon enough."

Kiera nodded again. "Uh, thanks for...everything?" He smiled. "It was an honor." _Jeez, what did I do to get all these compliments??_

Sora heard every word, but said nothing.


	6. You're a GIRL? Why yes, Sora It's Mulan

**Yet another chapp uploaded today!**

**Am i good or what?**

**You should tell me! Through a REVIEW.**

**No...pressure or anything.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"So...where are we?" Kiera asked slowly. They all shrugged, staring at the forest surroundings. "Beats me."

They somehow came across a...man? Well, whoever it was, they appeared to be under attack. "Hey, look! It must be a Heartless!" Sora said as he generated his keyblade.

_They can look like dragons?_ Kiera thought skeptically.

He was in midair, about to strike, when Kiera suddenly realized what was really going on. _Crap! He'll attack Mushu!_

"STOP!!!" Sora instantly froze and fell flat on his back. "Hey, what's that for?!" "That's not a Heartless," Kiera explained with a sigh. "It's Mushu and Mulan! You can get up now."

_One of my favorite movies, might I add.._

Sora instantly sat up. "Mushu??"

The "man" gasped after realizing what Kiera had called her. "Do I know you??"

Kiera shook her head. "Nope. Not at all. Call it...WOMEN's intuition."

Mushu popped out from behind the rock, much smaller now. "Sora, Donald, Goofy! How you guys been?"

"Can't complain."

She pretty much tuned them out; she didn't care too much for reunions. _Okay, from here on out, I'm gonna try to forget everything I know about Disney characters. It could blow my...well, I guess it IS kinda a cover. Eventually, it'll make Sora or Donald or Goofy suspicious, they'll ask questions...and to have to tell them everything would be boring...AND I'd have to explain the accident, too..._

"You're a GIRL?!" Sora yelled out of nowhere, snapping Kiera out of her inner-promise-moment.

She rolled her eyes at the shocked faces of Sora and Donald. "Me and you must be the only observant ones around here," she informed Goofy, who chuckled in agreement.

Mulan brightened. "You didn't notice? Really??" Mushu sighed. "Don't get too excited. Those two would believe ANYTHING."

"HEY!!"

Kiera laughed. He made a very good point.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"_Sooo_, seen any strange creatures around?" Kiera asked casually. Mulan shook her head. "Not of late. Unless you count Mushu.." Kiera waved her off. "Nah. I've seen stranger, TRUST M-"

She was cut off by a solid_** thwack.**_

Her eyes widened as Sora randomly flew across her line of vision, right into a tent. "Did you just get _slugged_?" She asked rather loudly.

"Why yes, yes I _did_!" He shouted back with a groan. The apparent slugger winked at Kiera, giving her the old once-over. She hated when guys did that.

"You lost, sweet cheeks?" _Oh, he did NOT...!_

So what else was she supposed to do? She gave him a matching black eye, then wiped her hands together in a "Job Well Done" kind of way as he toppled over.

"Guys!" Mulan protested. "That's NOT helping!!"

Sora grinned at Kiera. "Wow. No one's ever swung a right hook for me before."

Kiera rolled her eyes. "As _if_. He called me sweet cheeks. I _hate _that!"

"Uh-huh. _Suuuree_."

"Oh, bite me!! Wait, wait, DON'T bite me!!" She said nervously, then groaned. "Gah! I _hate _this whole command thingie!"

"YOU hate it?!"

"STOP!!!" A voice bellowed.

Everyone almost immediately stopped fighting.

Kiera stuck her tongue out at Sora triumphantly, to which he rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna take the high road and not do anything about that!" He replied proudly.

"Whatever. I still won."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh!"

"GUYS!!" Mulan and Mushu hissed. They both stopped and smiled innocently at the commander.

_**

* * *

**_

_**A ****WHILE LATER...**_

"Did they send me _sensitive daughters _when I asked for sons?!" Shang yelled, concluding his rant. Kiera, the only noticeable girl around, scowled at him.

"And YOU!" He shouted, pointing at her accusingly. She almost swatted it away, but resisted for Mulan's sake.

"Starting an argument in my camp? _Injuring _one of _my men_?!"

"Um, excuse me? Yeah, thanks. One: it's _just _a black eye. Now he's symmetrical! And two: if a girl could give him a black eye, maybe I'm just tougher than _your man_," she snapped in annoyance.

"I mean, this is a _war_, right? Does he think we're all gonna be bonding and singing 'Kumbaya' by a friendly fire roasting marshmallows?!"

She noticed Sora bite his lip to keep from grinning. _Progress_.

Shang stared at her, furious. Then he suddenly looked calm, which was almost twice as frightening. "Hm. Then why don't you prove yourselves?"

Kiera shrugged. "Hit me with your best shot."

* * *

"Gah!" Sora groaned after wiping out some more Heartless. Kiera had just watched from the sidelines, studying his movements. She wasn't dumb enough to just jump right in swinging.

Now, she gave him a weird look. "What the hell's _your _problem?" "Ever since you told off Shang, I've _really _wanted marshmallows!" He accused.

Kiera waved him off. "Why didn't you just say so??"

She tilted her head in thought, then managed to make a s'more pop into his hand. He grinned a little. "Thanks!"

She shrugged. "Consider this my way of paying you back. Y'know, for letting me tag along on that train."

Mulan and Mushu gave her a strange look. "Train??"

Kiera sighed. "_Long _story." Sora just munched on his treat happily.

"....Could you chew _any _fricking louder?!!"

"Jeez! Freak out, Kiera..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**AN ****HOUR OR TWO LATER...**_

"So, this mission..._what _is it again?"

"To clear the path to the checkpoint, so from there we can cut off the Huns with the rest of the Army once they arrive through the newly-cleared path!" Goofy explained smugly.

Kiera smiled and nodded, impressed. "Wow. How'd you memorize all that, Goofy?"

"He has the file!!" Sora and Donald yelled from up ahead, battling more Heartless.

Kiera raised her eyebrows, and he waved a clipboard as if it were a white flag of surrender before laughing sheepishly. "Whoops."

* * *

They finally got to the checkpoint. Shang seemed a bit more convinced, but not quite. Kiera watched Sora as he taught Mulan some techniques, trying to commit them to memory. Mulan really was a natural, breezing right through them.

Kiera? Not so much. Then again, she never was a "learn through instruction" person.

She waited until they were done, then sighed. _I'm so not gonna like what I'm about to do..!_

"Um..Sora?" He glanced at her. "Yeah?"

She hesitated. "Do you think...? Well, you don't have to _now_, or at _all_, really, but-"

"Could I help you with your fighting?"

She sighed with relief. "Yeah, that." He shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

_Thank you lord...That was a lot less painful than I thought it would be!_

"Thanks."

_Well, minus not being able to spit it out. At least he put me out of my misery._

Mushu ran over to them. "Guess what! There's a cave, and you'll _never guess _who's living there!!"

"Osama Bin Laden?!"

They all sweatdropped, and she laughed nervously. "Sorry...warfare humor. He's a...well, never mind, I'll tell ya'll later," Kiera said quickly.

Mushu blinked. "Well, anyway, Shan Yu lives there!"

_Oh, well. I guess that IS slightly more relevant.._

"And if _Mulan _finds him.." Kiera prompted. Mushu nodded. "Exactly!"

* * *

As soon as they saw that the cave was a dead-end, Donald and Goofy lost interest and headed out.

Kiera wasn't ready to leave just yet, though. She toyed with a little knicknack on a hand-made shelf. "Hm. Doesn't this look...lived-in?"

Mulan nodded. "You're right!"

Suddenly the gates shut, leaving Sora, Mulan, and Kiera trapped. About eight Heartless poofed out of nowhere, and Mulan and Sora sprung into action.

Again, Kiera watched them. She just hoped all this _watching _would result in her _doing _something. She sort of wanted to pull her own weight. After all, her mom was the exact opposite, and she never wanted to be like her.

Kiera noticed Shan Yu exiting the cave and attempted to open the gates. There was a gap just big enough for her to narrowly slide through. Ignoring Donald and Goofy's shouts, Kiera ran after him...and gasped at the sight before her.

The camp- more importantly, the village surrounding it- was burnt to the ground.

She heard Shan Yu's hawk as it flew in the opposite direction and knew she couldn't catch up. She spotted Shang on the ground and ran towards him.

"General Shang!"

He groaned in response. "I failed."

* * *

Kiera helped him sit up and leaned him against the fence. "Stating the obvious, but you're bleeding pretty bad there, you know."

She summoned a wrap-around bandage and started patching him up.

"I failed," he repeated. "They were on us so quickly, with weird, dark creatures...They overpowered me. I'm so ashamed," he admitted with a sigh.

Kiera patted his shoulder quickly. "They used Heartless. It's not your fault, you've never had to deal with them before. The best way to redeem yourself is to get ahold of yourself for your men and check for survivors. _We'll _go after Shan Yu."

He stared at her. "You're a very smart and determined young woman, especially for your age. Perhaps I was wrong to judge so harshly."

Kiera grinned.

"I hate to break up this little _love_-_fest_, but aren't we going after Shan Yu?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well then hurry up and let's _go_, Sora! You're holding us back, I'm telling you," she commented as she sped ahead of him.

* * *

Just like the movie, Shan Yu was high in the mountains. A straight shot to the Emperor's palace.

UNLIKE the movie, a giant swarm of bee-like Heartless kept them all plenty busy. This time, Kiera helped by putting those archery lessons to use, knocking them out one by one.

Once they were finally all gone, Shan Yu let out another rebel yell and sent a huger swarm with him as he charged down the slope.

Sora and Kiera got ready, but Mulan somehow found a rocket and sprinted towards him.

Kiera grinned. "This is gonna be awesome. Such a quick thinker, that Mulan."

"_What's _gonna be awesome?"

"Just watch! You'll see."

Searching frantically for flint, Mulan started spazzing. Kiera sighed and cupped her hands around her mouth. "MULA- uhhh...PING!! USE MUSHU!!"

"OHH, RIGHT!!"

"Wait, what're you- THAT'S MY TAIL!!"

When Shan Yu was dangerously close, Mulan lit the rocket. "You _missed_?! He was right in front of you!!" Mushu bellowed as he zoomed into the mountain.

But Mulan and Kiera exchanged a triumphant grin as the snow fell on top of the men.

"Great job," Shang said out of nowhere, making Kiera jump.

Ling punched Ping's shoulder. "Nice one, Ping!"

Kiera grinned again, but it turned into an "O" when she saw the wall of snow rapidly approaching them. She slowly tapped Sora's shoulder.

"What?"

She pointed at the snow before yelling, "RUUUUNNNN!!!"

* * *

She already knew what would happen between Ping/Mulan and Shang, so her curiosity didn't stop her from getting the hell out of dodge for once.

She waited patiently for everyone to catch up. Sora looked slightly surprised. "You can run faster than me."

Kiera shrugged. "So? You can fight _loads _better than me." He grinned to himself. "_That's _true."

Shang's yelling interrupted them. "You're a _woman_!"

"Hey, I thought we were past this whole judging thing," Kiera snapped. He ignored her. "You lied to me, decieved us _all_! The punishment for that...is.._death_."

Sora was about to forcefully stop Shang, but Kiera blocked his path with her hand.

"SIT."

* * *

Sora fell rather ungracefully on his ass in the snow, crossing his arms and glaring at her. "I hope you know what you're doing!!" He hissed, eyeing Shang carefully.

"Just watch," she hissed back.

Shang seemed conflicted, then threw down his sword. "There. My debt has been repaid. Get out of my sight."

After he and the other soldiers sauntered away, Kiera sighed.

"_That_, Sora, is why I stopped you."

Mulan knelt in the snow. "It's alright, Mushu.."

She started walking, and Sora attempted to get up.

"Oh, right. Um, you can get up now, Sora."

"Took you long enough...Where're you going, Mulan?"

She turned to look at them and smiled. "Home. We've been away long enough..."

* * *

They heard yelling over the hill and turned around.

"Shan Yu," Kiera muttered.

"That's NOT possible," Mushu muttered doubtfully.

"I'll bet twenty bucks- or, yen, I guess- that I'm right!" She stated as they ran to look.

"_I'll _take that bet," Sora replied confidently. "I bet twenty munny."

Mushu sighed. "You're an idiot!"

It WAS in fact Shan Yu, laughing creepily as he and his Heartless marched for the palace.

Sora sighed. "Crap."

Kiera held out her palm happily.

"Uhhh, I'll catch you next time, I left it on the-"

"Sora, _give me the money_."

"FINE!!"

"Gracias, mon frere," Kiera said in a sing-song voice as she pocketed her money. "Isn't that two different languages?" Mulan pointed out. Kiera shrugged. "Who says I have to use just one?"

She then started practically skipping down the mountain with Mulan. The rest of the group watched them with fresh sweatdrops. "Where are you guys going?!"

"To save the Emperor!!" They yelled at the same time.

* * *

**_I'm sick today. :(_**

**_Sore throat and stuff._**

**_Some more reviews might cheer me up a little!_**

**_Just sayin', is all._**

**_Later._**


	7. Truce?

"Shang! Shang!"

He eyed Mulan as if she were a ghost. "What're you doing here?"

"Shan Yu survived the avalanche. He's here, on the grounds. The Emperor's in danger!"

Shang ignored her. "Why should I believe _you_??"

Kiera blocked his path. People were yelling at them, but she just planted her hands on her hips defiantly.

"How typical. For you guys, it's all about that damn pride! DON'T interrupt me! Sora, _stay _out of it!" She said impatiently as both guys tried to say something.

"Look, I get it. It hurts like hell when someone you trust lies to you. Happens to all of us. But I would think a _leader _would know to put all that aside for the good of his men, his country, and his idol, 'cause we all know how highly you think of the Emperor. So, please...trust me, trust _Mulan_, you JERK!" Kiera finished quickly with a glare.

She even stomped her foot impatiently, making a couple of the men behind Shang snicker.

"...That's that red hair of hers kicking in," Mushu whispered to the others, making Kiera's temple throb.

"I'm right here, you know, I CAN HEAR YOU!!" She snapped, making even Shang jump.

Before anything else could be said, the people underneath the giant dragon costume slipped out, turning into Heartless. Shan Yu, laughing as usual, made a break for the palace.

"Shang, take your men and protect the Emperor!" Kiera ordered, and none of the soldiers, nor the captain, even gave her a second glance for bossing them around. It was kind of cool.

"We'll take care of these guys," Sora added while Kiera was busy beaming proudly at herself. He looked at her, then sweatdropped at how proud she was. "..Ready?"

"No!" She said frantically as a Heartless sprung at her, and she swung at him spastically, knocking his head clean off.

Kiera laughed giddily and kicked off another one's head. She punched the air triumphantly. "Yes! Fifty points!"

Sora sweatdropped again and looked at Goofy, who was currently using his shield effortlessly to fend them off. "Am I the only one who feels kind of bad for the Heartless that take her on?"

Goofy raised his free hand. "I'm with you, Sora."

* * *

"Well, I think you've earned the Oddest Weapons Ever Used in Battle Award," Donald announced as they navigated through the palace to provide backup for Shang.

Kiera perked up. "Is that an actual award??" She asked eagerly.

Sora rolled his eyes, and she shrugged casually. "Honestly, I'm flattered. All I did was improvise."

"And by improvise, you mean using encyclopedias and vases?" Goofy asked, scratching his head.

She nodded happpily. "Exactly!" "Oh, I get it!" They both grinned, and Donald and Sora sweatdropped before muttering under their breath, "Idiots."

Kiera was about to shoot something back when Shan Yu swung open an extremely heavy door, inadvertently whacking Kiera in the face with it.

"Owww..." She muttered as she saw stars, just like in cartoons.

"Hey, look! Stars!" She heard Goofy exclaim before she passed out.

* * *

"Unh...what the..?" She was back home, under the covers of her own bed.

_Did I dream it all up? I dunno, it was so real.._

Kiera slowly sat up, slipped on her monkey slippers, and went downstairs.

Mom was passed out on the couch, and Roseanne was on, as per usual when Kiera woke up in the middle of the night from weird dreams. "Wait.."

She glanced down; nope, she was wearing Pjs, not the cool clothes from her.._dream_?

"It _must _have been a dream, then," she said with slight disappointment.

Which was weird; she could barely remember what her dream was about. Who was even in it, anyway?

_Hmm...Goofy, Donald...Mulan and Shang, I think...and Mushu, of course..and...someone else...But who?_

Finally, she gasped. "Of course! Sora!"

* * *

Almost as soon as she said his name, she felt something. A tingling static, a humming, in the air.

Yeah, now she remembered. She was the Gatekeeper. Practically his boss, if the occasion called for it.

In that instant, she knew it hadn't been a dream. She could almost..._feel _them all, as if the action were still going on around her.

Her mom suddenly got up and grabbed Kiera by her ankles, knocking her to the ground. "What the hell? Mom-" She dragged her to the kitchen, propping her against the wall, and it was as if Kiera had lost all control of her body.

She fell right over, paralyzed, it seemed. "Gee, now I know how _Sora _must feel," she mumbled moodily. Her face must be the only thing under her control.

After that, her mom looked in the fridge.

Kiera watched as she started shaking with fury. "Kiera didn't buy any more beer!?! Argh, where _is _she?! I bet she's off drinking _my _beer somewhere.."

Kiera was _beyond _confused now. "Mom? I'm right here. You know, after you randomly dragged me across the floor?!"

Ms. Sage continued to rant before attempting to put some ice cream in a bowl. All of a sudden, she dropped it.

Kiera, still frozen, merely blinked as a stray shard cut her cheek. It wasn't just a nick, either, it was an actual cut. An actual cut that hurt like hell.

"Mom, careful! Put on some shoes or something, I mean-"

"Kiera, hel-_loooo_? This is ridiculous, I mean, seriously...What's that on your face? Kiera? WAKE UP now, I'm missing it...!!"

"Mom, mom, I'm awake!" Kiera tried to shout above her mom's own yelling, and shut her eyes tight in frustration.

"I'M AWAKE, MOM!! GOD!!"

She opened them, and Sora was above her, blinking. "Um..I'd just like to point out the obvious fact that I'm _not _your mom."

* * *

Kiera slowly sat up, glancing around. "I'm back? In the palace? What the hell happened?"

"Well, lemme see. _Shan Yu _whacked you with the door, _you _passed out, _I _fought off the Heartless, _Mulan and Shang _defeated Shan Yu, _Donald _dragged you over here during _that_, and he said _you _were talking to yourself, so while _Mulan's _getting chewed out by the _Emperor_, _I _was stuck with the wonderful assignment of trying to wake _you _up, _you _snapped out of it and yelled at _me _and called _me _your _mom_!!" He finished, then took a deep breath to replace all that lost oxygen.

Kiera sighed in annoyance. "Not everything is directed towards _you_, Sora," she snapped.

"I just had a _really _freaky-ass dream that worries the crap out of me, so quite frankly, I'm not in the mood for your bipolarness towards me lately! You know, Donald and Goofy keep assuring me you're _really _a nice guy. Ha! Nice my _ass_!"

Sora sighed. "..You're right."

She held up a finger. "_I_-...Wait, what?"

"I guess since I had automatically pegged you as one of those damn Organization members, I kept getting ticked just _looking _at you."

Kiera sweatdropped. "Ouch. Oh, yeah, you're _really _helping your Nice-Guy rep, truly!"

"No no no, it's not like that! It's just...they've caused a lot of trouble and pain for people around here, in our worlds. Actually, I'm confused that you didn't know about Heartless sooner," he said thoughtfully.

"Hm. I understand. I guess. So...truce?" She held out a hand. He shook it and helped her up. "Sure, truce."

Kiera grinned, then gasped. "Crap, I'm gonna miss her big moment!" "_What _big moment?"

She sighed impatiently and yanked him along by his jacket. "Mulan's not getting chewed out, she's getting _commemorated_!"

* * *

"Women like that, don't come around every dynasty," Emperor elaborated to Shang, to which he and Mulan turned red.

Kiera laughed happily. "Heheheh, that's one of my favorite parts!"

_The Emperor's so smart. Of course, anyone with a BRAIN STEM could figure out Shang and Mulan like each other-_

"Wait a minute...Mulan and Shang _like _each other?!" Sora asked in disbelief.

Kiera sweatdropped and nodded to herself. "I rest my case." He gave her a strange look. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, _nothing_.."

The emblem of the Emperor glowed, and Sora used his keyblade to open the next path. Kiera waved bye to them. "It was awesome to actually _meet _you guys!"

Mulan and Shang grinned; Kiera and Mushu pounded fists.

Sora smirked. "_Play nice_, you two.." Kiera smirked as well. The looks on Mulan and Shang's red-hot faces were _priceless_.

"See y'all again soon!" She called out before they faded, and she was suddenly back on the Gummi Ship.

* * *

**Still sick. Which makes me very moody.**

**Some feedback, good or bad, would be really awesome.**

**Reviews are scarce around here!**

**If you do, i MIGHT give you a cookie....**

**(that right there? It's called incentive. Or bribery. Yes, I'm almost to that point. It's a sad state to be in, people.)**

**REVIEW!!**


	8. Teenagers Are So Awkward!

**Yay! Reviews! haha wow that sounded desperate..anyway!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed and alerted. **

**Oh, and just in case you don't know, i would like to explain a term i love: sweatdrops.**

**A sweatdrop is commonly used in mangas and animes. It's usually kinda like a teardrop seen appearing on the side of the character's head, complete with a look on their faces somewhere along the lines of "WTF" or "Why Me?" or "OMG", things like that.**

**Yes, folks. Some people don't know what those are. Now you know!**

**(Took me forever to figure out they had a term. When i first found , i had no idea what the authors meant by sweatdropping!)**

**Just thought i'd clear that up, just in case!**

**Sooo, enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Hey, it's the Coliseum!" Sora exclaimed. Kiera looked at them quizzically. "Y'all have been here??"

"Yep! Phil trained us as heroes," Donald explained, both he and Sora nodding proudly at her. "Actually, he said we were _junior _heroes," Goofy pointed out obliviously.

Both of them drooped, and Kiera laughed. "Hey, that's higher than my status!" "What's _your _status, Kiera?" Goofy asked eagerly.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm...well, the last I was informed by Morgan, it was Spazzy Smart-Ass...which, quite honestly, isn't very flattering. But it's one-up from Lazy Slackers and Wannabe Cheerleaders, so I can't really complain," she explained.

The other three had been sweatdropping throughout her entire speech. "...She lost me at Lazy Slacker," Donald commented before quacking and waddling ahead of the group.

"Who's Morgan?" Sora asked. Kiera grinned. "Ah, you paid attention! Morgan's my best friend back home....Awww _man_!" She suddenly yelled, making Goofy and Sora jump.

"What's _your _problem?!"

The background momentarily turned depressing as Kiera slumped her shoulders, drooping. Sensing the mood shift, Goofy chuckled nervously and ran to catch up with Donald.

"We were supposed to teepee the principal's office with half the soccer team and the cheerleaders tonight!! Dammit! That was gonna be EPIC!!"

She kicked a pebble, stomping past Sora moodily. He watched her, eyebrows high on his head. "...Teepee?" He wondered out loud to himself, then shook his head quickly and tried to catch up with everyone else.

* * *

Donald pointed up ahead as everyone caught up. "Hey, look! A damsel in distress!" Kiera sweatdropped. "Not to get all feminine on everybody, but gee, that's somehow degrading.." She mumbled before immediately perking up. "Hey, it's Meg!"

The woman looked up at her skeptically. "Do I know you?"

Grinning like mad, our favorite Gatekeeper shook her head. "Nope."

"Oh. ...Alright," she said with a shrug.

"Anyway..Meg, what's the problem? And have you seen Hercules around?" Sora asked.

"You know Wonderboy?"

Kiera glanced around, curious. "This isn't exactly a _cheerful _part of town.."

"This is the Gate to the Underworld," Meg and Sora explained in unison. They glanced at each other in surprise, and Kiera grinned happily at them. "Oh. Cool!"

Meg sighed sadly, gaze flitting to a hill. "Herc's up at the Coliseum. Has been nonstop. Hades has been sending new enemies for him to fend off every day. I came to talk to him, but the damn flamehead won't listen. And the caverns...they make you so _weak_.."

Meg shivered, and Kiera nodded quickly. "Alright, then. _We'll _go talk to him. Use old-fashioned _persuasion_," she said cheerfully, pounding her fist into her palm for emphasis.

Meg smirked. "I like the way you think. What're your names?"

Sora pointed to them each in turn. "I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy, and Kiera."

She nodded at them all. "Well, thanks for the offer. I'll take ya up on it. _Please _help him..."

* * *

"You're bleeding," Sora observed out of nowhere. Kiera wiped at her cheek; quite a bit of blood smeared onto the back of her hand.

"Hmm..." She gasped. "But...that only happened in my dream! Did something fall and break near me while y'all were fighting Heartless?" She asked somewhat desperately, hoping they would say yes.

They all looked at each other thoughtfully and shrugged. "I didn't see anything break.." Goofy replied slowly.

Donald finally shook his feathered head. "Not that I had seen. I put you over there for a reason, y'know. The fighting was a little ways off from where you were."

"What happened in your dream?"

Kiera bit her lip before waving Sora's question off. "Ehh, nothing important. D-Don't worry about it."

What other dreams of hers were coming true??

* * *

After a few minutes of exploring the cave, Sora shuddered. "These caverns are giving me the creeps."

Kiera pointed at a glowing orb, her tone casual. "You guys _do _know these are souls, right?"

Everyone else immediately inched as far away from the numerous orbs as possible, and Sora rolled his eyes. "Thanks for making _that _situation about ten times creepier!"

"SOULS?!" Donald and Goofy repeated in disgusted/shocked/curious unison. Kiera nodded, ignoring the stink-eye Sora was giving her. "Yep. Lost souls, wandering around inbetween. How awful that must be, huh?"

Sora finally stopped glaring at her and nodded thoughtfully, processing what she had said. "Yeah...You're not very optimistic, you know that?"

She shrugged.

* * *

"Hades, we need to talk to you!" Sora yelled once they reached the main chamber.

Kiera jumped at the increased volume and rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure, Sora. 'Cause he'll _definitely _hear out the causes of a couple teenagers, a duck, and a...whatever Goofy is, instead of a babe like Meg! So let's go ahead and ruin _any _element of surprise we might have had."

Hades pointed at her. "The chick has a point. I kinda like you."

"Cool!"

Sora gave her an annoyed look at her fangirl expression, and she cleared her throat. "Oh, right."

She then gave him a slight nudge, putting him in front of the group. "...Go ahead, Sora. Knock him dead. Figuratively speaking," she added with a chuckle.

Dead silence.

Kiera stomped her foot at the crowd, consisting of Hades, her friends, a Pool of Souls, the orbs, and his minions. "That was pretty fricking _good_, dammit!"

Hades waved his hand back and forth. "Ehh, I think you could do better."

"Okay, MOVING ON!" Sora finally shouted, making them jump.

"Fine, fine. _Someone _needs to loosen the belt of their PMS Pants, and it ain't me this week," Kiera mumbled moodily, earning another glare from Sora.

"That kid must have the patience of a saint to not smack her," one of Hades' demon-minions observed, and the other one nodded.

* * *

It goes without saying that their skills of persuasion didn't help them this time. While Kiera was breezing through the Heartless, everyone else wasn't doing so hot.

"Hey...How come you guys kinda...well, SUCK?"

"Oh yeah, one _teensy _thing. When you're in this cave, heroes' strength is drained tremendously, rendering them more or less useless," Hades commented triumphantly.

"Wait, so in reality, _I _suck?! Well, _screw _that!!" Kiera shouted angrily, smashing a huge vase over some poor Heartless's head.

"What WAS that?" Sora asked dully from the sidelines.

"AN URN!!" Kiera yelled in response, smashing another into two burly Heartless. "Double whammy! Hell yes, combo, two hundred points!!"

Hades smirked, pointing her out to his minions and the Pool of Souls. "Oooh, I _like _her."

* * *

Five minutes later, Kiera finally looked around. They could see the cave exit, and she realized she was panting rather heavily.

She blew her auburn bangs out of her face impatiently, her eyes dulling back to their normal chocolate brown-ness instead of the angry, flashing amber color they had been just a moment ago.

"Whoa...how'd we get here so fast? What the hell happened??"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all inched closer, sensing the coast was now clear and she wasn't homicidal.

"You went AWOL on the Heartless, _that's _what happened," Sora replied, obviously impressed.

Kiera sighed guiltily. "Oh, no...blind rage."

"Come again?" Donald asked with a confused quack.

"Well, when I get really mad, like, _pissed_...sometimes- rarely- I slip into blind rage. I don't really know what's going on around me, I just focus on letting out my anger," she explained with an embarrassed laugh.

They stared at her with wide eyes, making her squirm a litte more as they left the cave. Finally, Sora grinnned. "Wow, that's actually kind of cool. I wish I could do something like that, instead of being so _nice _all the time."

She beamed.

* * *

Meg wasn't there, so they headed for the coliseum. "I still can't believe I _suck _at fighting," Kiera muttered gloomily.

"Hmm...y'know, maybe you really _are _good, you just use random objects to fight. So Hades' curse doesn't really apply to _you_," Goofy suggested thoughtfully.

Sora's jaw dropped, while Kiera pumped her fist into the air before doing her happy dance. "Ki-YA! Sweet! WHAT now?! I don't suck at fiii-ghting, I am Sora's eeeequal, Na-na-na-na-_na_-naaa!" She teased in a sing-song voice at the top of her lungs.

She had been so absorbed in her celebration that she hadn't noticed Hercules and Meg watching on in interest, trying really hard not to laugh at her.

So now, _Sora _was the one laughing at _her _while she chuckled nervously and fought the blush rising in her cheeks.

Finally, her temple started throbbing, and she stomped on his foot while extending a hand to Hercules.

"I'm Kiera!" She shouted over Sora's extremely loud "OW!!".

He shook it, stifling a laugh, before turning serious. "Hercules. Um, we have a problem. See, if you had the Heroes' Stone, the caves wouldn't drain your energies."

"So what's the problem?" Kiera asked before sighing in annoyance at Sora's complaining. Without looking away from Hercules, she planted a firm hand on Sora's shoulder to make him stop hopping on one foot while clutching his other one and making those damn "Ooh, ooh!" noises.

"You and your damn heavy feet," he hissed, making her stifle a giggle.

Meg cocked an eyebrow at them, while Hercules answered her question, totally clueless. "Well, it's kind of _stolen_," he said with an awkward clear of the throat.

"...Oh. That could be potentially problematic, I guess," she said with a slow nod.

Sora sweatdropped. "Kiera?" "Yeah?" "You can let go of me now."

Kiera mentally kicked herself and abruptly let go with a nervous laugh, making him stumble. "Oh. Right. Sorry."

Everyone else sweatdropped, and Goofy guffawed. "He-yuh-oi! Teenagers are _so _awkward..."

The two aforementioned teens just glared at him before huffing moodily.

* * *

They were told to see Phil and refresh their battle skills. Kiera was really surprised when Phil's eyes immediately zoned in on her.

"Is that...it _is_! Kiera Sage!"

She bounced excitedly, hitting Sora frantically like any other fangirl, since he happened to be the closest object. "Holy crap!! Freaking PHIL knows ME!?!"

Phil waved her off. "So modest. The Gods talk about you from time to time. Wait 'till they find out you were _here_! ...Oh, hey Sora."

Sora's jaw literally hit the floor. He finally managed to speak;

"...Are you KIDDING me?!!"

* * *

Phil thought her fighting was hilariously ingenious. So after their short training session, they decided it was time to go look for the Stone. "I'd start near the Gate!" Phil called after them.

"I'm a Junior Hero, I'm a Juniooorr Heeeerrooo!" Kiera sang excitedly. She was so happy, she even summoned the other three cupcakes while doing the moonwalk.

Sora was about to comment on her stupidity (while trying to unsuccessfully hide his smile), but then they all got into battle-stances.

She froze. "..Is there a Heartless behind me? A _big _one?"

They slowly shook their heads, and Sora spun her around wordlessly.

"..So. We meet again, Kiera."

* * *

Kiera's head throbbed more than it ever had. "Remember me?" He asked hopefully, to which she slowly shook her head.

The hooded figure sighed in disappointment before letting the hood fall to his shoulders.

"Remember me now?"

"No.._wait_.." She gasped. "YOU! That was _kidnapping_, you know!" She paused, rubbing the back of her head tenderly. "And it _really _hurt.."

He laughed, and she noticed he wasn't much older than her and Sora. "Y'know, at first I insisted they were sending out the wrong guy for this." He flashed the Stone for emphasis. "But I didn't know _you _would be here."

Kiera's head started throbbing even harder. He grinned. "You got an upgrade. Looks good on ya." He shimmered away, then appeared right in front of her.

She froze as he pointed at her face. "Except for that cut. Looks pretty deep for a stray shard from an ice cream bowl, doesn't it? Looks like it hurts, too."

He pressed his finger against it impulsively, and three things happened.

One, Kiera's cheek stung, making her wince.

Two, she summoned a pencil and stabbed his outstretched hand with it.

And three, probably the _most _surprising, Sora was suddenly pointing his Keyblade inches away from the Organization Member's chest.

All at once, too, it was quite fluid-looking.

"_Don't _touch her!"

* * *

This made the dude glance up from his injured hand in disbelief. "Oh, right. Forgot you were there, man," he said with an awkward laugh.

Sora continued to hold his Keyblade menacingly.

The member looked at Kiera, almost as if _she _was supposed to explain Sora's behavior. She held up her hands, tucking the pencil behind her ear for future reference. "Don't look at me. I didn't see _any _of this coming."

Then she summoned a sharp pointy stick. Everyone sweatdropped, and Donald quacked angrily. "That's the _best _you could think of, Kiera?! A _stick_?!"

"Noooo, a SHARP AND POINTY stick!" She protested as if he was stupid. She scoffed. _Amateurs.._

The Nobody chuckled impishly. "This should be fun."

* * *

As he whipped out a sitar, Kiera moved the pencil to a more secure place. Meaning her shoe.

Water-clones of him appeared, swarming around them. The others started fighting, but Kiera suddenly had an idea.

_That trick he did, the teleporting. It can't be too hard, right?_

She fixated her gaze to the spot behind him and closed her eyes.

_Focus.._

* * *

Sora didn't really know how to get rid of these things other than swinging at them, so he did just that. How come Kiera wasn't helping?

_She's just staring into space?!_ He thought in annoyance. _Wasn't she __just__ fricking __dancing__ over the opportunity to fight as a Junior Hero? Oh well. I'll chew her out later._

But almost before he could finish that mental rant, she vanished.

* * *

Sitar Guy noticed almost immediately. "Where'd she go, Roxas?"

Sora gave him a weird look. "Who're you talking to??"

Sitar Guy sighed. "You _still _don't remember, huh? How annoying. I _hate _it when they're right! Now I have to pay up on that damn bet! Thanks a lot, Roxas!" He ranted.

Sora sweatdropped, and Sitar Guy grinned. "Wait a minute. _I _know what she did! Sneak attack from behind!"

He whirled around and swung his fist through the air, then drooped. "Or not. Hm. Oh! Invisible!"

He jabbed the air around him in all directions with his sitar before blasting a soundwave. Nothing.

He scratched his head, puzzled, then grabbed Sora by the ear as he tried to sneak up on the ditzy Nobody.

_Dammit. What now?!_

Suddenly, the ground shook. Sitar Guy was knocked flat off his feet before flipping in midair, dropping Sora in the process.

"What the _fu_-" Kiera cut him off by throwing an extremely heavy-looking pot at him, hitting him dead-on in his center.

Sitar Guy groaned and fell to his knees.

Sora, having been in the path of Kiera's wrath at least once, almost felt bad for the guy. The girl could inflict surprisingly strong pain just by _stomping_..

"Love hurts!" Sitar Guy groaned from the ground. Kiera gave them all an impish grin, tossing the Heroes' Stone to Sora. "Miss me?"

**

* * *

**

**Oh, i would like to apologize. The "He-yuh-oi" thing earlier was my attempt at putting into words that little noise Goofy makes when he snickers. It's hard!**

**Reviews would be awesome! Praise welcome, Constructive criticism appreciated, flames should be ready to be laughed at at their expense.**

**(smiles innocently)**

**So feel free to send me any by pressing that button with the little orangey word-blurb beside it!**

**The sooner people do so, the sooner i'll update!**

**And updates are always good, right? Therefore, i have created...**

**_THE "YAY" FORMULA_:**

**Reading+Reviewing=Updates from me & "Yay!"'s from the readers.**

**[Beautiful, isn't it?]**


	9. Jiminy's Journal and A Real Grody Sock

**Wow, more reviews?**

**I'm shocked, i have to say. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Kiera was _so _loving the look on Sora's face. "See, I'm not _totally _worthless!"

Sitar Guy sighed as he got up. "Ah..What a woman! Roxas, knowing you, you probably planned running into _her_. Y'know, like that Alice chick a while back?"

Sora sweatdropped. "What are you _talking _about?!"

The Nobody groaned and waved him off impatiently. "Just wait 'till you remember! Idiot."

He gave Kiera a little half-wave. "See ya around. Only next time, you'll be coming with _me_." And with that, he was gone.

Goofy scratched his head. "Well, gawrsh! That was odd." Donald quacked in agreement.

"Who _was _that..??" Kiera wondered out loud.

"Well, _that _was Demyx," a tiny voice answered.

Kiera jumped, and Sora grinned. "Hey, Jiminy."

* * *

"Who's Demyx?" She asked the tiny cricket. Jiminy pulled out a tiny journal, flipping to a page.

"Hmm. Ah! Here it is. Demyx. Organization XIII's number IX. Was surveying the world of Mount Olympus, and even swiped the Heroes' Stone. He's a lousy fighter. Calls Sora Roxas, who must be another Organization Member. Though Nobodies supposedly have no hearts, Demyx seems to have feelings for Kiera Sage, the Gatekeeper. Almost like a crush. Kidnapped aforementioned Gatekeeper from her world of origin."

Jiminy shut the book, and Kiera bent down to his level. "Whoa, you're smart. Do you have journal entries on _everybody _in there??"

"Everyone I've met, yes," He replied.

"What about me?"

"Sure."

"Can I read it?" She asked eagerly.

Jiminy nodded cheerfully, and she held out her palm. She was holding it out for the journal, but he jumped onto her palm instead, and she laughed.

"Ha! It tickles," she said as he climbed up onto her shoulder to read aloud from his journal as they headed for the caves.

Sora was trying to be secretive and listen, and Kiera rolled her eyes. "So subtle, Sora. You might as well just linger back here."

Jiminy cleared his throat and began to read her section.

* * *

"Kiera Reilly Sage. Kidnapped by Demyx from her world of unknown origin. We first encountered her after awaking from our year-long sleep, and Sora mistook her for another Member due to the cloak she was wearing, which I assume belonged to Demyx."

"It turned out to be a misunderstanding. Yen Sid told us she was a Gatekeeper who could command Sora at will."

"Battle technique is to summon any object she chooses, usually a commmon household item instead of a sword or actual weapon. Very powerful and mysterious. Demyx mentioned a detail from her dream, concerning a cut, which suggests she might have had a vision, possibly induced by the Organization.

"Though Nobodies allegedly don't have hearts, Demyx seems to have feelings towards Kiera. Almost as if it were a crush!"

Sora rolled his eyes, Jiminy laughed, and Kiera grinned proudly. "Well, I _am_ pretty awesome." "_That's _debateable," Sora muttered with a smirk.

"Her interactions with the party vary. She and Goofy seem to get along quite well. Donald is neutral. There's often clashing between the two teenagers of the group. Kiera and Sora fight almost constantly, yet protect one another when in danger. This confuses me. Will observe further," he concluded cheerfully, snapping his journal shut.

* * *

They both seemed a little thrown off with that last statement, but Kiera just made a clicking noise with her tongue. "That's a mouthful, Jiminy. Like, five paragraphs. Does anyone else have _that _much written about them?"

"Sora, Donald, and Goofy do."

"Oh, good, I feel better about it now!" She said cheerfully.

As Goofy and Donald waited for them to catch up, Kiera stuck her tongue out at Sora.

He sweatdropped. "What was that for?!"

"You tried to _proteeect _me, you _caaare _about meee," she teased in a sing-song voice.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Don't get too excited. The King himself said it was a very important trait of mine."

Kiera scoffed. "Oh, what _ever_!"

* * *

They would've done a lot better if Pete and his Heartless hadn't been waiting for them. Far outnumbered by the Heartless, which were still multiplying, the group were forced to retreat.

At least, that's what Kiera's vision had shown her after a good ten minutes of concentrating. She had stayed behind, heading for the Coliseum to watch Herc fight.

"So, HOW do you know they're doing bad again?"

"Vision. Happens from time to time."

Meg nodded slowly. "Oh. So, how'd you get the Stone back?"

"Sneak attack. ALL me! Psh! And Sora says I can't _focus_." Meg laughed as Kiera mimicked Sora in a ridiculous voice, but it was cut short as she stared in horror at something behind Kiera.

Kiera sweatdropped. "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

Meg slowly shook her head. "Not _Sora_.."

Kiera turned around and, caught off guard, screamed bloody murder.

* * *

"This SO isn't working!" Sora yelled angrily as yet another Nobody multiplied into four Heartless.

Donald's and Goofy's turned into six and eight of the same thing.

_I hate to say it, but maybe Kiera could've been good help down here. She could've dropped a giant piano on them all at once to keep them from multiplying, or something random like that._

"Sora, maybe we should retreat!" Goofy suggested. He reluctantly nodded. "You're right. RUN!!"

* * *

After getting out, the newly released soul they had encountered expressed his gratitude, and they parted ways.

"So. Let's think of some kind of strategy."

Goofy shrugged. "Well, we _could_- ..Sora, what's wrong?"

Sora glanced around. "Don't you guys _feel _that?"

"Feel what?" Donald asked in confusion. The air had a tingle to it. Sora shivered. "...Dark energy. Never good."

He suddenly heard a shrill scream, making him shoot up from the boulder he had been sitting on. "Did you hear that?!"

"He's starting to freak me out," Goofy stage-whispered to Donald, who nodded worriedly.

_So they can't feel or hear any of this? Hey, wait...that had kinda sounded like.. _

It slowly dawned on him what Yen Sid had said about a "connection" between him and Kiera.

"It's Kiera, she's in trouble! Where was she going again?" His two friends shot up as well. "I think to the Coliseum to watch Hercules."

"Well, let's go!"

* * *

Sora was first to get there. He knew after just a few days that Kiera wasn't the type to scream like that without good reason, and he was anxious to see what he was up against.

Herc was standing there, looking torn. "What's going on?"

He glanced up at Sora absently. "Oh, thank the Gods. Meg's been taken by Hades. Trying to lure me away from my battle, and if I leave now, the whole _city _will be destroyed! They took the Heroes' Stone, too."

Sora sighed. "Great. Guess that means they have Kiera, too. I'll get Meg and the Stone back, don't worry!"

"Thanks, Sora. Now you better get going!"

* * *

Kiera listened to Meg struggle against the ropes yet again, then sighed as Meg growled in frustration. "C'mon, Pete. Let her go."

He shook his humongous head. "No can do, Short Stuff. Orders are orders." "I'll pay you!" Kiera yelled out in frustration.

"_Pay_, you say?"

"Yeah, I got twenty bucks right here in my back pocket!"

"Bucks?"

"You know, dollars?"

"I don't know what kind of currency _you're _a-talkin', but we only exchange _coins _around here, Small Fry."

Beyond miffed and starving, Kiera kicked out her legs, the only thing not tied up. "ENOUGH!! I'M NOT SHORT, DAMMIT, YOU ABNORMALLY LARGE JERK!!!"

Hades poofed in. "Put a cork in that chick! I can hear her from the other side of the Gate!"

Pete shuffled over to her. "Sorry Mister King of the Underworld. Must be all that red hair of hers."

"Make _one _more crack about me, and I _swear _I'll _kick your a_-" He stuffed a sock into her mouth, so far back she nearly gagged.

Hades furrowed his fiery brows. "Say, where'd you get the sock, big guy?"

"My foot."

Meg and Hades made a face. "GRODY!!" Kiera exclaimed, muffled by the sock. "I wouldn't talk through that," Pete warned. "It's my lucky sock. I haven't washed it since I passed my first test in elementary school.."

Kiera whined weakly, squeezing her eyes shut in horror for a moment.

_I think I'm gonna be sick..!!_

Hades looked quite disturbed. "I feel for the kid, I really do."

Pete laughed, totally oblivious. "Only test I ever passed, too!" He added proudly.

Meg sweatdropped. "I'm _surrounded _by _idiots_."

* * *

Suddenly, Sora barged in. "Let them go, Hades!"

They all turned to look at him, while Kiera focused on NOT throwing up. Hades groaned. "Ah, he sent _you _instead?!"

Pete took one look at Sora's Keyblade and sprinted for the exit. "You don't wanna mess with this guy! He destroyed Maleficent!!"

Hades' and Kiera's eyes widened. _He did? Holy crap..._

"GO SORA!!" Kiera cheered despite the sock's grodiness; maybe if she sucked up, he'd get the sock out of her mouth first thing.

Hades sweatdropped. "Is he really worth inhaling those poisonous fumes? I mean, _really_?" He shook his head and gave Sora a "Sup" nod. "You really lucked out with this one, kid. Either really brave...or really, _really _stupid."

Sora sweatdropped as well, charging the Heartless one by one. "I could say _so _much about that, but I'm just gonna take the Heroes' Stone and my friends, and be on my way."

Suddenly, the Heartless vanished, and a huge snake-like monster appeared instead, towering above them.

_Ohhhhh crap._

* * *

Kiera and Meg watched them battle in awe. It was over pretty quick, shockingly. While Donald untied Meg, Kiera hopped over to Goofy and Sora, still roped up from the waist up.

"Help," was her only muffled comment.

Sora smirked. "I dunno, maybe we should leave them on. It's a good look for her, don't you think, Goofy? It'd be a lot _quieter_, too.."

Goofy and Sora snickered, but Kiera gave him a glare so fierce that he jumped a little before slashing the ropes with his keyblade.

Kiera yanked the wadded-up sock out of her mouth and threw it at his head. "Do you have ANY idea where that's been?!"

"Uh...your mouth?" He guessed dumbly, sweatdropping as he watched her summon a huge glass of water, gurgling a few times before chugging the rest.

"Pete's foot. Unwashed since elementary school!!"

"Ew!!"

"Grody, yes, and it was IN MY MOUTH, Sora!!" She shuddered. "I think I'm scarred for life. I'll never be the same again."

Meg made a face again. "Yeah. Brought it upon herself, though, I gotta say. She wouldn't shut up," she told Sora with a smirk.

"Sounds familiar."

"Ha!"

Kiera's temple throbbed as the two laughed it up. "Sora?" "Yeah?" "SIT!!!"

_**THUD.**_


	10. Kiera's Nightmares and Tingly Feelings

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* * *

Kiera shot straight up, sweating and panting heavily, only to realize the blood-curdling scream was her own. Again.

She silenced it as quickly as possible, putting her head against her knees and trying to calm her breathing.

"God, I keep thinking she's in actual trouble," she heard Sora mutter somewhere nearby. "If you ask me, she's in trouble up to her ears," was Donald's reply.

She heard Goofy make a weird noise of disapproval, and she heard his shoes clomping closer.

Crap. The last thing she wanted was to have to be comforted like a toddler after their first nightmare.

This wasn't even the first nightmare! It was the fifth one in three days. Not good.

Clearing the path to the next world was taking much longer than expected, and until all the repairs were made, they were just kind of floating aimlessly.

Which meant non-stop sleep time. Which meant more nightmares. _Greeeaat_.

Kiera felt a pat on her shoulder, and hesitantly looked up at Goofy. "I heard ya screamin'," he commented as if her screaming was extremely hard to hear.

She sighed miserably. "I'm so sorry, I really wish I could stop, but.."

"How can you stop something beyond your control?" Goofy pointed out. He glanced around quickly, then grinned. "You wanna know a secret?"

She shrugged, trying not to show her eagerness. "Sure."

"Sora's had about eight nightmares since I first met him. One of which was about a giant teddy bear trying to attack him and steal his blankie!"

Kiera couldn't help it; she laughed her ass off for a good two minutes straight. Goofy waited patiently, laughing a little, then cleared his throat.

"Y'know, sometimes nightmares are a way for your mind and heart to get rid of the things troubling them for a little while. Maybe the nightmares would be a little less terrible if you talked about them."

She sighed. "I would if I could remember them enough. I just know that some are about my mom, some are about my dad and wherever he might be, and some are about things I've never seen before, about what's going to happen to me. And all of them are terrifying."

Goofy scratched his head thoughtfully. "Ah-HA! Obviously _something_ is troubling you, so why don't you talk about _that_?"

"...I dunno..."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything. I'll just listen. And you won't depress me, I'm very mellow about these things, I promise!" He assured her eagerly, making her sweatdrop.

Kiera bit her lip, then went into her explanation.

* * *

"It all started with my dad breaking his wrist. I had drove a few times before, so he had me drive him around. Y'know, just until he healed enough to drive himself. About a year or so ago, it was raining..."

She took a deep breath and focused on her bare feet as she continued.

"It was _really _rainy, but I was managing to see alright. We were just talking and laughing, when we saw something scurry across the road. It looked like a...a..I don't even know what it was. Even now, months later, I can't remember everything that happened that day. But the cops and my mom told me the car collided with something small and heavy, making it flip over and over...If I think really hard, I can remember having to pull one of my arms back into the car as it flipped, right before it would've gotten crushed.."

_Oh crap. Here come the emotions._

"And when I came to, he was gone. Not just dead, but _gone_. Without a trace. I don't know if he somehow lived, or if he died and was just further back in the car...I don't know."

She paused as she heard Goofy sniffle, and felt her own eyes tear up just a little.

"After the accident, my mom...changed. She wasn't Grace Sage anymore; she was..._empty_. Yeah, that's a good way to describe her now. Like a shell of a person. She quit her job, and so paying the bills fell to me. Actually, I don't know how long _that'll _last if I ever get back home, I've probably drained all my saved up college money, so there goes MY future..."

Her voice broke a little. "I still don't understand it. How I could go from a moderately-happy person to being almost totally alone and miserable,with nobody who cares and with no clear future. You know something's wrong with you when you live for school the next morning, where you just pretend to be fine for everyone else."

"...Gawrsh, that's terrible! In these dreams about your mother...what makes them so scary?"

Kiera bit her lip again.

"Usually, she sets the house on fire looking for beer. See, it was always the same routine back home; I'd get home from my job and school and such, and then she'd wake up and either grab a beer out of the fridge or bug me until I go out and buy her some more. That's all she does now- eat, sleep, and drink beer. Barely talks to me about anything anymore..Sometimes I wonder if she even understands what I say to her, it's like she's...dead. She might as well be, for all she's worth now. Still, she's better than social services, I guess...I _guess_.."

She paused with a tired sigh, then sweatdropped as Goofy's sniffling increased. Kiera slowly looked up to see him fighting back tears.

"Holy crap...Goofy, are you-"

"This is too sad!!" He declared as he abruptly stood up and power-walked out of the room. "Goodnight, Kiera!"

She gave his back a half-wave. "Um...night, Goofy?"

"Goofy's never been good with the whole comforting thing. He gets too in-tune to people's emotions," Sora explained out of nowhere.

* * *

Kiera immediately focused her attention back to her feet, wiggling her toes anxiously, knowing good and well he was pissed with her frequent screaming.

"Oh."

"Kiera?"

"Hmm?"

"I heard about what happened."

Kiera couldn't help but look at him and roll her eyes with agitation. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to eavesdrop on people's conversations??"

He rolled his eyes right back at her. "Kind of hard not to when one of the people in the conversation keeps screaming and making me think she's in trouble."

She smirked. "Wow, you DO care."

"I can just leave!"

"Then do that! I want to be alone anyway.."

He sighed really heavily, flopping exaggeratedly into the random chair and scooting it up close to the cot she was currently lounging on.

"Well, GREAT. Now you make me want to stay."

"Because it's the exact opposite of what I want?"

"You catch on fast."

Kiera sighed and shook her head. "I'm not gonna talk to you."

"Fine."

"FINE."

_**THREE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

Kiera's temple throbbed, and she flopped over to face him in annoyance. "WILL YOU STOP BURNING HOLES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD WITH YOUR EYES?!?!"

Sora merely blinked. "Oh. Why, _hello _there."

She huffed moodily, crossing her arms. "Why are you still here??"

"Because you don't want me to be."

"I hate you."

"Likewise."

"Then go away."

"I hate you enough to stay right here."

"Well, then, that just makes me hate you even more."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I think you've mistaken me for someone who gives a crap."

"If you don't give a crap, then why are you looking at me like that?!" She snapped, gesturing at his concerned/sympathetic/amused/understanding expression.

He simply shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?"

"It's YOUR face."

"And?"

"Ugh, you're impossible!!"

She glared at the ceiling, then after a minute, she chuckled. "You remind me of my dad."

* * *

"...Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Good. Definitely a good thing. He was a great dad. Mom was a great mom, too, but..."

"Then what went wrong?"

"Weren't you eavesdropping? Grief changes people, Sora."

"But...You're more or less the same, apparently."

"Well, that's because I'm awesome," she stated very seriously. After smirking as Sora bit his lip to keep from grinning, she continued.

"Seriously, though? I _did _change. I was a lot happier then. And I rarely had nightmares. And I wasn't on a random Gummi Ship with Goofy, and Donald, and some annoying kid named Sora," she said thoughtfully.

Sora sweatdropped. "I hate you so much."

"I hate you too."

"Hey."

"What?"

"What's the real thing that bugs you about these nightmares? I know it's not just what's in them. It's something else."

Kiera bit her lip thoughtfully before finally answering his question.

"I think...I think what scares me the most is not being able to fully remember them. Just bits and pieces. Like seeing my dad again, then being snatched away. And people in cloaks, like Demyx's, sedating me for whatever reason."

"And seeing some girl I've never met crying, and me walking away. I'm crying too, I think you're about to, which usually makes me think 'WTF?!', because I never expected to see YOU of all people crying..."

"And I feel burning, like a fire. Sometimes I wonder if my mom _actually _set the house on fire, like in the first dream I had here. It just..._scares _me," she concluded, her voice shaky, her eyes tearing up.

She blinked rapidly at the ceiling. The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of him. Then he'd think she was even weaker than he already considered her.

After a long pause, Sora cleared his throat. "Hey Kiera."

"Hey Sora."

"Wanna hear a story?"

She was about to shoot him a smart-ass comment, but...well, she DID kind of want to hear what kind of story SORA could possibly share with her.

"...Okay.."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FORTY ****MINUTES LATER...**_

Kiera continued to stare at the ceiling in stunned silence. "...Wow. I'm flattered, depressed, AND have tons of comebacks being written in my head for future reference. All at once, and all because of that 'story'. Wow, I think you taught me something, Sora."

Sora sweatdropped. "Great. Now I'm ready for anything. Kiera learned something. What's next, pigs flying?"

"Shut up!" She snapped, then yawned, and even Sora felt a wave of sympathy as a brief look of horror crossed her face at the thought of going to sleep again.

She tried to laugh it off, hoping to God or _whoever _was up there tuning in to this conversation that Sora wouldn't comment on it. "Jeez, I don't think I've been like this since I saw Nightmare On Elm Street a week ago..."

Sora didn't laugh, and her own laughter trailed off anxiously.

"Hey Kiera."

"Hey Sora."

"No, look at me."

"I don't want to."

"Oh, c'mon, please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Go away."

"Am I _that _ugly?"

"No."

"So...you admit I'm _hot_?"

"No."

"Why're you giving me one-syllable answers?!"

"I'm not. There, that was two. Happy?"

"No."

"Good thing I don't care how happy you are, then."

"Kiera."

"Go away now."

"Don't make me..."

"Make you what? Cry me a river?"

"Oh, so funny. Just look, will ya?"

"NO."

He sighed impatiently and, setting a hand on the top of her head, turned her to face him himself.

Kiera thought about just looking at a random nearby object, but she was trapped by his intense stare, which was currently locked on her eyes.

"_What_, Sora?" She asked impatiently.

"You're scared to go to sleep."

"No."

"Yes you are."

"Maybe."

"Kiera."

"Okay, fine, yes. Happy?!"

"Not really. You haven't got anything to be afraid of."

"And what the hell makes you figure that?!" She snapped.

"Because. Goofy, Donald, and me will be here. I- Uh, I mean, WE...won't let anyone hurt you while you're with us. I-....Uh, Donald and Goofy, promise."

Kiera smirked, eyebrows raised. "Oh, _really _now? You mentioned a lot of '_I_'s in there. You DO care!"

"Oh, look, your sarcasm's back. That's a good sign."

"And you're avoiding my statement. That proves me right."

"No it doesn't!"

"Yes it does! You know, you _could've _told me all that while I was looking at the ceiling. I bet you just wanted to look into my mesmerizing brown eyes," she stated with a smug look as he flushed.

"NO, I just figured eye contact would make you calmer! Unless, of course...My mere presence makes you nervous due to my intense hotness.."

"NO."

"Uh-huh."

"SORA!!"

"What?!"

"...I dunno, I just felt like yelling at you."

* * *

He tried to keep from chuckling, but then Kiera laughed at herself, so he started snickering, too.

Then something weird happened. He was pushing the hair out of her face, and they both kind of froze like deer in the headlights, neither of them realizing his hand had still been on her head that whole time.

_Kiera _hadn't realized it, anyway. So now her face was tingling, the rest of her was prickly, and they both stayed frozen like that for what seemed like forever, not saying a word and just kind of zoning out staring at each other and trying to make sense of the weird feelings in the air around them.

"The path's finally cleared!" Goofy announced as he strolled in, and both of them jumped. For whatever reason, they both flushed with embarassment, even though nothing major had happened.

Goofy snickered, and Sora glared at him. Just like that, the weird air had vanished, replaced by the Gummi Ship's usual candy smell.

"Maybe she should just chill and watch the ship or something. She doesn't look so good," Sora muttered distractedly, flicking his hand briefly in Kiera's direction.

She sweatdropped, and after they left, she huffed moodily before closing her eyes.

"I hate him so much."

"I hate you too," she heard him shout back.

_Dammit, why does sound have to travel so fricking well on this stupid ship?!_

_**

* * *

**_

_**Okay, thanks so much to those who reviewed and alerted, but with all the people who've read this, it's getting ridiculous.**_

**_If i don't get some more reviews, me and yall are gonna have problems._**

**_I MEAN IT!!! REVIEW, DAMMIT!!_**

**_Hahaha but seriously, reviews are like my crack. the more i get, the happier i get. So review!_**


	11. When Two Teens Get Tangled Up

**Again, thanks for the reviews and alerts.**

**Enjoy. **

* * *

By the time the others got back, Kiera was extremely miffed at being left behind. She was sure to inform Sora of this as soon as he was within hearing distance, and they argued about it until she figured out where they were going.

Kiera immediately recognized the odd-looking forest and headed straight for the tree with the pumpkin on it. She waited as patiently as possible for the others, which wasn't very patiently at all.

She was a Nightmare Before Christmas _fanatic_! Sora sweatdropped as she continued to bounce on the balls of her feet.

"You're awfully...happy."

She turned the knob excitedly. "Of course I am! I _love_ this movie!"

"Whoa, wait, what? _Movie_?"

She pretended not to hear him, diving head-first into the swirling portal.

Kiera somehow landed gracefully on her feet, much to her delight. Sora? Not so much.

She watched on with a smirk as he stumbled and just barely managed to stabilize himself; her smirk soon fell as she noticed his outfit.

"Ehhhhh? No fair! How come YOU get a costume?" Sora glanced at her, then did a double-take before openly staring.

His jaw hit the ground, muttering incoherently. Donald and Goofy joined the two, and busted out laughing at the poor Sora.

Kiera sweatdropped. "Um...Sora? Are you..all-RIGHT?"

He shook his head real fast as if clearing away evil thoughts, then seemed to suddenly remember how to speak coherent English.

"You, um...You have different clothes, too..Uhh, yeah." He ruffled the back of his hair, laughing anxiously before looking at Donald and Goofy.

His temple throbbed, and both he and Kiera sweatdropped; their friends were in a heap on the ground, rolling around and laughing uncontrollably.

"What the hell are _you two_ laughing at?" He shouted.

Donald stopped between laughs long enough to clear his throat, smirk, look Sora dead in the eyes, and say, "Well. Looks like you got over Kairi pretty quick, Sora!"

While Sora and Donald fought like the idiots they were, Kiera inspected herself to see what had gotten into that one idiot in particular.

It appeared to be some sort of cat costume. It included a rather short skirt, some ratted and torn leggings that frayed off and ended at her knees, a black halter with orange stitching, and some ballet flats that had black and orange straps criss-crossing up her ankles.

A longer look (because quite honestly she was amazed) revealed a slinky calico tail, swishing curiously. She felt her head and her own jaw dropped.

Not only did she have soft little cat ears poking out, but her hair felt sleeker. When she was sure none of her companions were looking, she used the door knob as a mirror and saw that her hair was now stunningly shinier and richer.

Poor Sora; didn't stand a chance. Hell, SHE was attracted to herself. She couldn't help but giggle as she went to catch up with everyone else.

"Dang. I should _live_ here. I am so keeping this outfit..."

* * *

"Sooo, Sora. Feeling better now?" Kiera asked. He eyed her suspiciously, as expected. "Whaddaya mean?"

She shrugged, clasping her hands behind her back innocently. "Ohh, I just figured you had some sort of illness. I just can't seem to think of one that's symptoms include drooling, perverted thoughts, and s-s-s-stuttering!" She teased smugly.

Donald and Goofy exchanged a look as Sora's temple throbbed menacingly. He glared at her, and she almost started to regret her statement for fear of her health.

They both stopped in the middle of the road, and she gulped. _Uh-oh..._

"Kiera..Just wait until I get my hands on you," he growled.

"Hey, I'm the kittie-cat here, I'LL be doing the growling!"

"I'll give you a five-second head start."

"Wow, that's real generous of you-"

"ONE..."

Kiera yelped and bolted off the road, through a field. He soon followed (five seconds later, true to his word), and they both started shouting obscenities at each other angrily.

Donald and Goofy just sweatdropped, sighed, and plopped down on a randomly-placed boulder to wait for the two to calm themselves and come back.

"Gawrsh, they sure seem angry. And...a tad lethal," Goofy commented worriedly as they watched them run up and down a few hills.

Donald waved him off with a quack, pausing as they saw Sora and Kiera exchange a rather lude finger gesture. "...Ehhh, they're just flirting."

They heard Jiminy yell triumphantly, making them both jump. "Ah-HA! So _that's_ what they've been doing? I knew there was something 'extra' about their weird relationship!"

They both gulped as Jiminy started writing in his journal, his pen scratching furiously with every word. "If either of those two read that, you're roast duck!" Goofy exclaimed.

* * *

Kiera laughed maniacally. "Ha! You'll never catch up with me! I'm like the wind, baby, the _wind_! Yeah, you just-"

She was cut off by Sora's own triumphant yelling as he grabbed her by the wrist, but then they both hollered as they stumbled, rolling down the hill like extremely off-course tumbleweeds.

When they reached the bottom, they were all tangled up, Kiera on the bottom (of COURSE..) and Sora's head against her collarbone.

They both groaned, too sore to even register their positions, much less to consider moving. Kiera was the first to process it.

"..Sora?"

"What?"

She felt a shiver run up and down her spine as he spoke, since his face was against her bare skin.

Kiera sucked in a breath, then sighed impatiently. "If you could move your head just a tad, that would be just _awesome_."

"But I'm so _sore_," he whined.

"Move your fricking head to the side, that's ALL I'm asking from you!"

Sora smirked and did as she asked. "I just wanted to see you spazz out."

"I hate you. This is all your fault," she fumed.

He shifted his head again, so he could give her another smirk. "Me being awesome, devilishly charming, and goosebump-inducing is _not _my fault."

Dammit, she DID have goosebumps. Kiera averted his gaze, huffing moodily. "If they weren't somewhere underneath you at the moment, I'd cross my arms for extra effect," she informed him.

He continued to grin, and she huffed some more, refusing to give him the satisfaction of returning the stare.

"Kieraaaaa's warming _uuup _to meee," he teased in a sing-song voice over and over. Finally, Kiera got an idea on how to shut him up. A terrible, wonderful, awful idea.

She very calmly turned her head to look at him, then proceeded to give him a full-on eye inspection.

"Oh, you _bet _I am, Sora."

He stopped mid-chant. "Oh. Okay. Wait, what?"

This was fun.

He laughed nervously. "Y-You're joking, right, Kiera?"

She gave him a wink. "What do _you _think? I'd answer carefully, if I were you." The tone she used visibly sent shivers down his spine.

Oh, yes. Revenge was sweet.

Sora was momentarily stunned into open-mouthed silence, but then he smirked. "WAAAAIT a minute! _I _know what you're doing. Well, then, Kiera. If you weren't bluffing, you'd command me to...kiss you," he said ominously.

* * *

Now KIERA was the one stunned into silence, and he took this as her defeat. Which it wasn't, but he yelled triumphantly anyway.

"Ah-HA! You WERE bluffing!"

"I'm not bluffing!"

"Yes you are!"

She didn't respond, and fumed silently as he continued to tease her like a true moron. Finally, she let out frustrated growl. Sora sweatdropped. "I think that cat costume's starting to rub off on you."

Kiera glared at him, then grinned impishly. "So. You think I won't do it then, do you?"

"Nope," he answered confidently. She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "Sora, I'll give you to the count of ten to prepare yourself, 'cause we're about to kiss. Why, you ask? So you'll SHUT THE HELL UP!"

He immediately started to spazz out. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Kiera, noooo! I'll shut up, I promise-"

"No, you won't. You'll tease me about it to no end afterward. This is the only way to get you to shut up."

"B-But.."

"I'm counting now."

"You're not counting out loud!" He accused while pointing at her. She winced involuntarily; he made it seem like she had just killed someone.

"Since when is THAT a rule?"

Sora was going to argue, but instead slowly lowered his hand and squeezed his eyes shut briefly in annoyance.

"This isn't fair, you know," he informed her.

Kiera's temple throbbed. "Just to let you know, you have five seconds. And thanks, by the way, for those..._wonderful _words of encouragement, Sora. Really."

He didn't respond, just avoided her eyes. She blinked really fast, looking up at the weird Halloween Town sky.

She didn't really have any need to be nervous, but she was shaking a little by this point. Half of which was due to the fact that her first kiss was going to be with SORA of all people, but half was because of the feelings. The weird air was surrounding her again.

"6...7...8...9...10."

Kiera gulped, then took another breath. "...Sora...Whether I want to or not, I, uh...I command you to-"

She never had to try and finish her sentence, because Sora did something totally unexpected and didn't even wait to be commanded.

* * *

She expected it to be quick, awkward, the worst first kiss she could possibly have. And it wasn't, to her horror. It would've been much easier if it _had_ been.

Instead, it was comfortable, warm, and not quick at all. Actually, technically speaking, it wasn't just one first kiss.

The way their lips were moving, it was more like at least five first kisses. They were still tangled up (though Kiera didn't think she could remember how to move at the moment even if they _weren't _tangled), but somehow Sora's hand ended up caressing her jaw line.

Her arms from the elbow down were still lost somewhere, so she couldn't break the kiss even if she wanted to.

She'd never find the momentum pinned down like this.

Which, y'know...of _course _she wanted to break off the kiss. Kiss-_es_. Whatever. ...Yeah, totally.

_Jeez, why is it so damn hot in this world? I'll have to confront Tim Burton about this._

To their horror, they heard movement. "They rolled off somewhere near here, I think..." Donald trailed off at about the same time Sora quickly pulled away.

* * *

The two loked up, their faces turning bright red. Donald, Goofy, Jack Skellington (_Oh. My. GOD_.) and Zero were all staring at them.

"...Well, THERE they are! Hey, _wait _a minute...What were you two crazy kids _doing _this whole time?" Goofy asked.

They exchanged a panicked look, totally busted. "W-Well, umm...We were, uh, _fighting_!" Kiera exclaimed in a "duh" tone.

Sora nodded quickly. "Yeah, that's what we always do, isn't it? What else would we be...doing..?"

Donald let out a skeptical quack. "I dunno...I thought I saw you two..."

"Making out?" Jack offered way too cheerfully, making Kiera and Sora sweatdrop. "Y'know, I never thought he would be so _perverted_," she whispered.

"I did. Never ask about him and Sally a few New Years ago," Sora warned. "EVER." Then he cleared his throat. "And we weren't _making out_. We were trying to get ourselves untangled."

Everyone but Goofy sweatdropped as the latter nodded slowly. "Ohhh! _That _would explain why you guys were moving so slow and careful-like!"

They turned even redder, not having any idea they had been moving at all, and Kiera laughed anxiously. "Yes, that's _exactly _it! Well done, Goofy, you're so observant."

Donald continued to stare skeptically at them. "You two weren't yelling, though..Like you usually do.."

"But they were most definitely making some noises," Jack added. His grin was very suggestive.

Mortified, the two teens sweatdropped, temples throbbing. "WE WERE NOT MAKING OUT!" They shouted, trying spastically to untangle themselves.

* * *

The other party members sweatdropped as they yelled instructions at each other, cursing the other person whenever their plans failed.

Three head bonks and five cuss-outs later, they rolled apart with relieved sighs. Kiera stood up and brushed herself off, shooting Sora a glare. "Hey, watch where you put your hand next time!"

He flushed. "Sorry. My bad," he muttered with a nervous laugh. They then seemed to remember at the same time what they had been doing earlier; both of them turned bright red all over again and put as much distance between them as possible, positioning themselves on opposite sides of Jack.

He grinned at them. "So...who's the girl, Sora? Ohhh, wait, wait. You must be that Kairi girl Donald mentioned!"

Kiera sighed heavily, _really _tired of hearing about this Kairi person, and she and Sora snapped, "NO," in perfect unison.

Jack nodded. "Oh. So you're his NEW girlfriend!" Ignoring Sora's protests, Jack nudged Kiera. "If I were you, I'd dump him."

Kiera smirked. "Great idea! Sora, consider yourself dumped."

He sweatdropped. "Oh no, Kiera, I'm crushed. How can I possibly go on?" He said dramatically, clutching at his chest and staggering.

Kiera rolled her eyes and stuck her leg out, but he just jumped over it gracefully, and she huffed before continuing to walk beside Jack, who was currently smiling at their behavior.

A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Hey, wait. Skellington. _What _made you think I should dump him, exactly?"

Jack shrugged. "Well...I don't think I should tell you at the moment. I don't think you'll wanna hear it, you both seem pretty moody."

"It's best to just tell us, she'll _never _stop asking until you do," Sora warned him.

Jack looked between the two, then slid behind them smoothly before pushing the two side-by-side. "Maybe I should demonstrate. It seems obvious you care about each other a lot; very intense, mixed feelings."

He abruptly pushed them apart, much to their relief. "And if you love something, you should let it go."

Sora looked absolutely mortified by his explanation. Kiera simply shrugged. "Ehhh, I never really got that saying anyways."

How could she get embarrassed _this much _in _under one hour_?

* * *

**Hahaha. Wow. Only Kiera and Sora could get themselves in that random of a situation.**

**NO, they arent paired now.**

**Just in case you flamed me for that.**

**Anyways, REVIEW!**

**:)**


	12. AN: CROSSOVER?

**Okay, so i just had a stroke of genius.**

**WHAT IF...I made a crossover between Kingdom Hearts and Fatal Frame 3: The Tormented?**

**I mean, c'mon...with Kiera and the gang invading the house of Rei Kurosawa?...Dude, that's gonna be _interesting _XD**

**BUT...I also have a couple other fics that would make a good crossover with Fatal Frame 3. So, im opening up a poll on my profile. It'll last HOPEFULLY until later tonight or tomorrow, because i won't have any internet for a week as of this Friday and it'll be the perfect time to start on it.**

**Soooo...HURRY UP AND VOTE!**

**Oh, and for those who have no idea what the _hell _Fatal Frame 3 is, it's a really creepy and cool game that involves a Camera Obscura, ghosts, and a really painful tattoo. i would recommend googling it, and clicking on the link that belongs to an awesome site along the lines of Through the Camera's Lens, i cant remember if that's it exactly, but it's got buttloads of info on it.**

**If you wanna see a really hilarious walkthrough of the Fatal Frame 3 game, check out pyschadelicsnake's channel and search through his vids. he's hilarious! he screams higher than me XD**

**GET VOTING! AND YES I WILL UPDATE SOON EITHER WAY! **

**that is all. as you were, FanFiction users! :P**


	13. Poll Prob Now Fixed! Sorry!

**Okay, WOW, just realized i never put the poll on my profile.**

**FIXED IT!**

**okay, NOW go vote! **


	14. The Return of the Tinglies

**Okay, sooo the poll results conclude that...no crossover for Kiera and Sora. oh well!**

**I finally updated, thanks to my latest reviewer. Thanks so much! **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Sora and Kiera's little "escapade" set them back quite a bit, and they ended up staying at Jack's place for the night.

Apparently Jack, the Pumpkin King, king of scary, deemed Halloween Town an "unsafe environment after sunset".

Go figure, huh?

Kiera could hear snoring all the way from up here on the roof. There were a ton of stars up here, and the fresh air felt good.

It all made her feel a little better after that nightmare...and the, uh..."busy" day she had. She thought back on her dream.

She remembered her dad being in it. So was an Organization member, because only they wore such ominous cloaks. Except Dmeyx's, it didn't look as bad.

Sora was there, too, but surprisingly, her dad was doing the fighting. THAT'S how she knew it was a dream.

Kiera herself was in it as well, chained. Why, she had no idea. It was more than a little disturbing, and she had a few theories (some were perverted, and none led to anything good).

"Uh-oh. She's wearing her thinking face. Should humanity be afraid?"

* * *

She jumped so hard that Sora had to try extra hard not to laugh. Kiera huffed moodily. "No, but _Sora_ should be. What're you doing up here?"

"Couldn't sleep. Too much snoring. You?"

"Ehhh, same. The nightmare didn't help things."

"You mean...nightmares DON'T help you sleep? Whoa. My mind? Is officially _blown_ by that."

Kiera's temple throbbed. "If you're gonna be like that, go to the other end of the balcony, would you?"

He laughed anxiously. "Sorry, I'm tired, what can I say?"

"Nothing. Say absolutely nothing for _more _than two minutes. Hopefully your head won't explode with the difficulty."

Sora sweatdropped. "And you get on to ME for being hostile?"

"I never said you were _hostile_. You were just getting _annoying_."

"Too bad you never _stop_ getting annoying."

"Yeah, I know, right?"

Sora huffed, lacking a comeback for that one, and she smirked to herself. _About time_.

He was now leaning against the railing a little ways away from her, apparently deep in thought. That or he was trying to get her to say something first.

So, NATURALLY, she refused to talk first. Kiera just knew she'd blurt out something stupid about what had happened earlier, anyways.

Surprisingly, she didn't get the chance.

"Can I tell you something...kinda weird?"

She shrugged. "Sora, I live and breathe weirdness. Go right ahead."

"I always thought my first kiss would be with Kairi. ...Y'know, once I found her again," he admitted quickly.

Kiera gave him a side-glance. "I always thought mine would be with...um...well, there was- Oh, no...Well, this ONE gu- well nope, he was pretty ugly...huh. Well, no one named Sora," she admitted cheerfully.

Sora sweatdropped, but seemed more relaxed. Was she good or what?

But he didn't shoot back a smart-ass comment. Weird. "Hey, Kiera?"

"What?"

"I think I might have a problem."

* * *

She couldn't help but smirk and reply, "I could think of several, but this is progress. The first step is admitting you have some."

"I'm serious."

Again with the lack of self-defense? Kiera was now _officially _nervous and worried. Her brows shot up. "Really? Oh, okay. I'm listening."

He hesitated; now she was even MORE nervous. She didn't think it was even _possible_ for Sora to hesitate in...well, anything, really.

"Well...I keep feeling these...well, uh, feelings. Uh...around _you_, especially. Mostly. Pretty much just you," he concluded quickly.

She wanted to get him to elaborate on exactly what _type_ of feelings he was getting, but she didn't want to freak him out. He was pretty pale over there.

So Kiera just stared at him curiously, waiting for him to continue. Which, quite frankly, didn't help him any, but still.

"And, uh, earlier...When you were counting...Okay, here's the thing. I wish I could say the only reason I, uh...well, kissed you, was because I didn't want to wait around and be forced. I mean, I'm stubborn, it makes sense, that was a good reason. But there was another reason, too...and it really doesn't make any sense whatsoever."

She was almost scared to ask, but did it anyway. "Well, um...What's this other reason that makes no sense whatsoever?"

Sora ruffled the back of his hair anxiously. "The _feelings_. There was this weird feeling in the air. Kind of..._tingly_ and stuff? I dunno what the hell happened to me, but before I realized what I was doing, I had already done it. Did you...y'know, feel that tingly thing too?"

Kiera, who was now looking at anything and everything BESIDES him, nodded slowly. "Yeah. I did."

"Do you know what it was?" He asked with honest curiousity.

She nodded again, and sucked in a breath quickly, trying to keep her face neutral. "It was, um...It was the connection Merlin had been talking about. Just that connection, nothing else. It'll go away eventually, so don't worry too much about it, Sora," she said quietly.

Honestly and truly, she had no idea what was causing the feeling. She just knew it couldn't be what she knew he might be thinking.

Couldn't be.

It wasn't...It wasn't possible physically, mentally, emotionally, or on any other level. Yeah. Exactly!

She sighed out loud, then flushed when his head shot up in her direction. "Jeez, that scared the crap outta me."

"Sorry."

They both sweatdropped and exchanged a sarcastic look as they heard an extra loud snore from Goofy, which was followed by a _**THUD**_ and angry quacking from Donald.

"Now's probably the best time to go to sleep, while there's a break in the snoring," Sora commented as he popped his knuckles. "Night Kiera."

"Night.." She bit her lip. The damn tingly feeling was back. Stupid Merlin. She decided to blame it all on that damn wizard as she walked quickly to catch up with Sora before he went inside.

"Sora?"

"Yeah, what's.." He trailed off as she nearly tripped, put a hand on his shoulder to steady herself, and just up and kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

Cue Sora's moody mental sigh.

She WOULD throw him off like that. He blinked a couple times, and was about to say something, but decided to wait a litlle while.

Right now, Kiera was turning about five different colors, and it was pretty interesting. Finally, he put her out of her misery.

"...What was _that_ for?"

And just like that, she was smirking as if she suddenly had the upper hand, and shrugged. "For the hell of it. It's, what, 3 in the morning? Personally, I blame it on caffeine withdrawal."

And with that she turned to head inside, like Sora had originally planned to do.

Now _that_ was hardly fair. She couldn't throw HIM totally off, say something smart to explain it, and then just WALK OFF!

So of course he grabbed her by the arm, turned her around, and up and kissed the corner of her mouth.

Okay, so that wasn't originally his plan. Nor was the whole lingering-there-for-about-thirty-seconds-and-smirking-when-her-mouth-automatically-tried-to-smirk thing.

But she was definitely thrown off-guard. So was he, quite frankly, but this wasn't ABOUT him, now, WAS it?

Sora simply smirked at her, walking ahead. "That was for the hell of it, too."

Of course, five seconds later she swerved in front of him, a soda now in her hand. He was too tired to keep fighting for a spot in the front.

But he did it anyway.

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS ****LATER...**_

"GOOD MORNING!"

Kiera jumped about three inches in the air and rolled right off the table she had been sleeping on, landing flat on her ass.

Donald and Sora snickered, while Goofy and Jack continued to beam and blink innocently at her.

Her temple throbbed menacingly. "...Who...Or WHAT...was THAT?"

"Twas Goofy and I!" Jack replied cheerfully. "Sora told us about your _condition_."

She eyed Jack wearily. "WHAT condition?"

"Oh, you know...The one that requires you be scared out of your sleep, or your heart rate will drop too low."

"That explains your nightmares!" Goofy added as if Sora's stupid prank made total sense.

The stare she aimed at Sora made him laugh nervously, and he backed away so he was closer to the door. "Uh...Just looking out for you, Kiera!"

She widened her brown eyes innocently. "Oh, how sweet of you!"

Kiera closed her eyes briefly, then focused on the spot beside Sora. In five seconds flat, she appeared by his side and had already smacked him upside the head.

"Ow! Dammit, Kiera!"

"You deserved that, and you know it!"

"Why were you sleeping on the table, anyway? Hey.._Waaait_ a minute...Is it_ that time of the month_ or something?"

Everyone else in the room winced at Sora's stupidity as Kiera calmly turned up her nose and punched him in the gut. "OW!"

"No Sora, it's not, but when it is, _that's_ what it'll feel like."

"Ah, the price a woman pays in life."

"Jack, NOT now!" Kiera snapped before stomping outside.

Everyone sweatdropped as Jack turned to look blankly at them. "Was it something I said?"


	15. SSSSANTA CLAUSE!

**Well, I'm back!**

**This is pretty long, but in my opinion worth the read!**

**Just think of this as a reward for taking a while to update.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Heya, Sora?"

"What's up, Goofy?"

"Well, it's about what Kiera said about her _time of the month_..."

At this, Kiera ran to catch up with them, eyeing them both suspiciously. Goofy didn't seem to even notice, but Sora gulped.

"Um...What about it, Goofy?"

"Well, I was just a-thinking about that there connection Merlin mentioned..."

"Yeah..."

"And how when Kiera was apprehended by Pete, you knew exactly what was happening..."

"Okay.."

"And how sometimes you feel each other's emotions and stuff like that..."

"...Uh-huh..."

"And, uh, I was just thinking..."

"JUST GET ON WITH IT!" Everyone finally yelled.

"Gawrsh! I just think that maybe when her time of the month comes, _you'll_ feel some of it, too!" Goofy practically shouted.

Everyone blinked. Kiera then crumpled into a laughing heap on the ground, making everyone sweatdrop.

She started rolling in the road, shaking with laughter. "Hahahahaha! Goofy, that...will make...the whole week of hell...SOOOO worth it!" She said between laughs.

Jack gestured to her worriedly. "Should we help Kiera? She's starting to turn different colors.."

Goofy held a hand out to her, but she just shook her head and slowly sat up, still laughing. She eventually steadied her hand enough to summon some water, and downed the glass.

Jack's skull eyes widened. "Whoa! How on earth did you _do_ that?"

Sora sweatdropped. "Were you not there when she _teleported_ earlier?"

Kiera sprang to her feet and beamed at Jack. "It's a gift, really."

"You MUST explain it to me!"

Sora's jaw dropped as the two walked ahead and Kiera explained the whole thing, talking animatedly.

He sighed. "Great. He's boosting her ego even higher than it already is."

Donald patted his shoulder with mock sympathy. "Too bad. Guess summoning a Keyblade just isn't that impressive anymore."

Goofy sighed and shook his head as Sora chased the duck across a few hills, the latter letting out a few quacks of laughter every now and then.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FORTY-FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm hum-hum hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm hum-"

"What the _hell _are you doing?" Sora asked, obviously annoyed. Kiera gave him a weird look. "It's the Halloween Town theme song."

Jack snapped his fingers. "I _knew_ the tune sounded familiar!" Kiera and Sora both sweatdropped. "Well, I should hope so, since it IS your theme song..."

Suddenly, everyone but Jack stopped dead in their tracks. They looked at the festive lights strung everywhere, and at the coffin with dead reindeer harnessed to it.

A slow grin spread onto Kiera's face, and Sora cringed. "Oh, no. That smile can only mean _one _thing..."

"A HALLOWEEN TOWN CHRISTMAS! OH, HECK YUUUUSSSS! I ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE THIS IN PERSON!" Kiera shrieked, running up to Jack and hugging him.

Everyone sweatdropped as she proceeded to grab both his skeleton-y hands and jumped up and down. "Never in my wildest fangirlish dreams did I actually imagine being here! NOW! DURING YOUR CHRISTMAS PHASE, MADE FAMOUS BY TIM BURTON! OHMIGOD, OHMIGOD, OHMIGOOOOD! THIS IS FRICKING AWESOME!" She squealed.

Jack didn't really seem to mind. "Ah, so I'm not the only one excited about Halloween Town's first official Christmas! This is marvelous!"

Sora sighed. "...I knew it. That smile read very plainly 'total chaos is soon going to occur'."

Donald and Goofy looked from the guillotine, to the hellish toys, and back to the Jack-Style Sled. A reindeer let out a creepy-yet-hilarious laugh, causing Donald and Goofy to tremble and gasp in terror.

Sora, however, brightened. "We've GOT to check this out!"

Kiera smiled, and Jack led the way again. "First off, we have to go see Sally. She's in charge of something NO self-respecting Sandy Claws can live without!"

He started walking, and the other three ran to catch up with Kiera. "Hey, Kiera?"

"Why yes, Goofy?"

"Are there _words _to that there theme song you were humming?"

Sora and Donald groaned as Kiera grinned like mad. "I thought you'd _never _ask! Ahem.."

_**

* * *

**_

_**A ****WHILE LATER...**_

"Admit it, you're impressed," Kiera insisted. Sora just shook his head. "Nope. Not at all."

Donald raised a hand. "_I _am! I thought you'd sound like a dying walrus, but you sound almost better than Daisy! ...You won't tell her I said that, will you?"

She flashed the Girl Scouts symbol, even though she'd never even MET a Girl Scout. "Your secret's safe with me!"

Jack turned to look at her with a toothy grin while climbing the stairs to Dr. Finklestein's lab. "I'm just impressed someone from another world knows my theme so well. And carries the tune so wonderfully, _that's _a plus!"

Sora groaned. "Will you guys stop with the flattery? She's _never _gonna let it go!"

Kiera smirked. "Kind of like you?"

"Psh! Nooo..."

She was about to reply, but she was suddenly struck with a strong sense of awe as she realized she was literally living her dream.

"Doctor, have you seen Sally?"

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of an experiment?" He croaked.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel then waddled by. "This shit is _way _too heavy!"

"Then let's toss it!"

"You do, and you'll be sorry," Doctor interjected. "Now bring it over here!"

True to their characters, the three kids promptly launched it into the air. "Heave-ho!" They cried out in unison.

Everyone drew back and let out a "Whoa!" s it sizzled before exploding on the operating table. Kiera and Goofy had bonked heads, and were currently rubbing the _sides _of their aforementioned heads when she heard Sally sigh heavily.

She LOVED Sally! Almost more than Jack! Kiera tried to hide her smirk as the pranksters laughed their asses off before running away.

"You imbeciles! Now you've gone and ruined my experiment, dammit!" The Good Doctor shouted, waving his fist at their retreating backs. It didn't seem to faze them much, and he sighed. "...Little shitheads," he muttered dangerously to himself.

Jack strode over to everyone's favorite redhead. _Sally, I mean. _"Sally, did you finish it? I want to show my good friends over there," he asked eagerly.

She glanced downwards, avoiding any eye contact with his 'good friends over there' out of embarrassment. "I...I'm sorry, I need a little more time," she said quietly.

He crouched down to her level. "...Oh. Well, that's alright! Just as long as it's ready for Christmas!" With a cheerful pat on her shoulder, he strode away.

She stretched a hand out towards him. "But..Jack..?"

He turned to look at her, grinning obliviously. "Well, I best be off. I better get Sandy Claws right away!"

Sora made a thinking noise. "Santa Clause...Hmm.."

Kiera's crazy, fangirly grin came back at the prospect of ACTUALLY meeting Santa Clause. Sally, however, was a lot less thrilled.

"Sora, please. I'm afraid something terrible's gonna happen to Jack if he goes through with this!"

"Tch. Thanks, Captain Obvious," Donald quacked moodily.

"Hey, don't diss Sally like that, she OWNS your ass!" Kiera replied.

Sally pointed to her. "Who is _that_?"

"Kiera, Sora's girlfriend," Donald replied with a smirk that clearly read "Karma Kiera, KARMA!".

Both teens' temples throbbed. "No, I'm not. I'm just along for the ride, and happen to own HIS ass for the time being due to a sick twist of fate," Kiera explained cheerfully.

Sora sweatdropped, looking at Sally. "Do you SEE what I've been dealing with?" He asked glumly.

Sally shrugged. "I think she's quite alright."

He drooped, and Sally giggled at the triumphant grin Kiera shot him. "You just can't win for losing, Sora, you know that?"

"Trust me, I'm aware, Kiera. _Painfully _aware," he muttered.

Suddenly, Jack burst through the doors. "Are those strange-looking fellows with you four?"

"...WHAT strange-looking fellows?" Sora asked carefully.

"Oh, y'know, those fellows that wanted to spoil both Halloween AND Christmas? What are they called again..." He raised a finger happily. "Oh, right! Heartless?"

"They're DEFINITELY not one of us!" Sora replied. "But we can get rid of them for you."

Kiera popped her knuckles expertly. "Prepare to see the master at work, Jack. I eat Heartless for BREAKFAST!"

She paused, then held up a finger. "Well, actually, I usually summon a Pop-Tart and some OJ for breakfast. Heartless aren't really that tasty. Trust me, I know; I tried biting one once before I knew how to properly fight them, it was dis-GUSTING!"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy sweatdropped. Sally and Jack, however, were fascinated. "DO go on!" Jack said excitedly as he followed them outside.

"And then...We can go see SANTA!" Sora exclaimed brightly.

"Hell yeah, we finally agree!" Kiera exclaimed with equal brightness, and they jumped up excitedly to exchange a mid-air high five.

Donald tapped his foot meaningfully, and they both drooped. "But first, the nasty-tasting Heartless," he added with a nervous laugh.

They both sighed and stomped outside. Kiera planted her hands on her hips and looked at him. "Alright, here's what's gonna happen. We're gonna kick these guys' asses as fast as possible so I can see Santa. Got me?"

Sora gave her a mock-salute. "I never thought I'd say this to you, EVER, but here it is. Yes ma'am!"

She laughed mischieviously and summoned a drawer of eating utensils. Sora shivered on behalf of the Heartless that dared to challenge her, then grinned. "It's on!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWO ****MINUTES LATER...**_

Everyone was still shocked they had finished in that short of a time, but Kiera and Sora just bounced in place excitedly. "So, Jack, lead the way to Sandy Claws!" Kiera chirped happily.

Sora nodded eagerly, and Jack seemed excited as well. Although, this WAS Santa we're talking about, so why WOULDN'T people be excited?

They proceeded to run like crazy people, and Kiera started laughing out of nowhere. "What's so funny?" Sora asked, obviously in a good mood.

She pointed at him and Jack. "He doesn't even have to run to catch up with you! Since he's so much taller than you and all!"

"Yeah, well I'm taller than YOU, so it's nothing compared to YOUR height differences."

Soon, they were in the forest in which all the doors were located, and Kiera sighed impatiently as Jack went into Monologue Mode.

"I got so tired of Halloween, year after year. Beyond this door lies a world beyond your-"

"Wild imagination, Christmas all the time, lots of snow and cookies and shining faces, alright alright! Let's go see Santa!" Kiera interrupted excitedly.

Jack chuckled and nodded. "Alright, alright, I'll just open the door..."

As soon as he opened it, Kiera dove in, and Sora soon followed. The more mature ones of the group reluctantly jumped after them.

_**

* * *

**_

_**MOMENTS ****LATER...**_

Somehow Sora landed first, and Kiera landed right on top of him with an "Oof!". Before she could roll off, Donald landed on top of HER, followed by Goofy.

"Constricting...Air way...Gah!" Sora muttered before shaking everyone off. Kiera landed ass-first, but the cold didn't even bother her, she was so excited.

Everyone took this time to stare in awe at the coolness of Santa's World.

"Holy crap! Snow!" Kiera exclaimed before sticking out her tongue and giggling with child-like wonder as some ACTUALLY landed on her tongue.

Everyone sweatdropped. "You've never seen snow?"

Kiera shrugged. "Not in at _least _four years. Snow's a big deal down in the South."

"South what?" Jack asked.

"Oh, nothing important. Let's go!" She exclaimed, yanking Sora up and running down the steep hill towards Santa's factory.

Unfortunately, some creepy Heartless stopped them at the base of the hill, by a carousel. Sora groaned. "Not here too!"

Kiera laughed maniacally as she shifted the gears on the carousel, causing the Heartless that had tried to catch her to get caught in its wake and fly off in random directions.

"TAKE _THAT_, YOU CREEPY CHRISTMAS TOYS FROM HELL!"

Jack giggled in an equally mischievious tone. "She's so much fun!"

Sora just sweatdropped and summoned his trusty old Keyblade.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Christmas is in trouble," Donald stated after they had defeated all the Heartless.

"We can't let anything bad happen to CHRISTMAS!" Goofy added.

Jack nodded, then pointed to a factory. "That's where Sandy Claws lives."

Kiera grinned, and Goofy pointed at her mouth with amusement. "Hey! You have cat fangs! I never noticed!"

Sora made a face. "THAT explains why they were so sharp the other day..."

Everyone turned to look at him, sweatdropping. Goofy scratched his head. "...Gawrsh, Kiera, didn't know you had it in you to BITE him!"

Jack flashed a rather suggestive smile. "I don't think that's what happened, Goofy.."

She and Sora turned bright red. "U-Uh, let's go see Santa, shall we?"

"DO LET'S!"

And with that they ran off, leaving even MORE sweatdrops in their wake.

_**

* * *

**_

_**MOMENTS ****LATER...**_

Kiera and Sora burst in, skidding to a stop on the slick floor. He caught her by the elbow right before she fell, and she grinned. "I know you're probably just kissing ass for the Big Man In Red, but thanks anyway."

Then she realized she was in THE SAME ROOM AS SANTA, and they both swiveled their heads to gape at him, jaws hitting the floor with an "Ahhh-ahh-ahh!" kind of noise.

Everyone else ran in, and made similar noises of awe. "...WHOA!"

Santa looked up. "Well, hello everyone! Did you come to see if you're on my 'Nice' list?"

They ran up to him spastically, and Sora beat everyone there. "What's your name, lad?"

"Um, Sora, sir." Kiera couldn't help but smile. He could barely contain his excitement. It was kind of cute.

Santa took the longest time to look through his list, and finally he spoke. "Ahh, there you are. Well, according to my _list_, Sora...Seven years ago, you told everyone that you didn't _believe _in Santa Clause."

Sora stopped mid-happy-dance and clutched the top of his head in the Ultimate Depressed State-Mode. "Gahhh!"

"What about Donald and Goofy?" Donald asked excitedly.

After a few moments, he nodded brightly, and they cheered. Kiera noticed Sora was currently slumped over in a defeated pose, and she patted his shoulders sympathetically.

"What about Kiera, sir? Is she on there?"

"Hmm...Kiera...Ah! There you are, right near the top!" She beamed, flashing her cat teeth, and Sora's head jerked up, making her hands and arms jerk as well since they were still on his shoulders.

"How in the HELL is that possible?" He cried out.

Kiera shrugged. "Quite easily. After dad disappeared, there's no way MOM was setting the presents by my bed. And _I _sure as hell wasn't buying them. So I figured Santa MUST exist. I wasn't stupid enough to say he doesn't exist in my early years. Unlike SOME people I know," she said matter-of-factly.

He drooped again, and she just laughed. "I'm surprised you haven't told me to let go yet."

"I need the sympathy. This SUCKS!" He wailed. Kiera rolled her eyes and summoned him a cookie before patting his shoulders some more, while Jack bounced in one place excitedly.

"Sir, is my name on there as well? Jack?"

He dropped his list in shock. "Jack SKELLINGTON?"

They heard a crash outside his door, and they all looked in that direction. Even Sora. "What sort of trouble did you bring THIS time?" Santa asked Jack as he waddled over towards the door.

"_This_ time?" Sora asked Jack, who threw up his hands nonchalantly. "It's a long story!"

"Actually, it's quite short, maybe I'll tell you later," Kiera informed Goofy, who was about to ask if Jack could explain.

Donald gave her a rather suggestive smirk. "You sure were being nice to Sora there, Kiera."

She shrugged. "Being rejected by Santa is one of the most depressing things that could happen to you in life. I hate him with a passion, but even _I_ feel sympathy sometimes."

* * *

They followed Santa into the factory portion of his home, and glanced around but couldn't find anything.

Suddenly, Kiera heard whispering. "Who's there?" She and Santa shouted at the same time, exchanging a glance.

"Shit. BUUUUUSSSS-TEEED!" She heard three very familiar voices cry out. They heard a crash, and saw them hopping out a window.

"Gah! It's Lock, Shock, and Barrel!" Jack cried out.

"Not THOSE three," Santa groaned.

"...I love those guys to death, but how stupid could they _be _to make so much noise during their get-away?" Kiera muttered, making Sora sweatdrop.

"You sure do know a lot about this world, Kiera..."

"Umm...Vacation back in 2000?" Kiera offered with a nervous laugh.

"I assure you, those three are NOT with us," Jack informed Santa.

"Well, whatever the case, they've been VERY naughty. Bring them back here to me, they're gonna get a _lecture_!" Santa demanded.

Sora and Kiera gave him mock-salutes, and Jack cleared his throat anxiously. "But first, I wanted to talk to you about Christmas, Sandy Claws."

"It'll have to wait, I need to see how things are progressing in my workshop," he replied sternly, stomping off.

"Well, c'mon Jack. Let's go catch those pranksters," Sora stated.

"Ohhh...Alright then," he said with a disappointed sigh.

* * *

**Hahaha, poor Sora. That's one of my favorite parts of the game, Halloween Town!**

**Well, review! Pretty please! Hope you liked it!**


	16. Oogie And Epic Mistletoe Failures!

**BACK! I'm SOOOOO extremely sorry for the 3-month-or-so wait! I should be facestairsed (credit to my friend animelover1993. "Face stairs: for when facepalm, faceplant, and facedesk just AREN'T enough.")**

**ANYWAY. Thanks so much for those who still read this despite me totally blowing this off. I was working on this chapp all 3 months and did a lot of writing and re-writing, FINISHED IT LAST NIGHT...and was kicked off because it was past curfew. FAILURE IS MY MIDDLE NAME!**

**...Actually, it's not, but we'll pretend it is. :D**

**ENJOY! AND REVIEW, AS ALWAYS!**

* * *

When they got outside, Donald and Goofy were crouched down by some footprints. "They look kinda old, though. Fading," Kiera commented.

Sora shrugged and they ran to catch up with them, battling Heartless here and there.

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"I still can't believe how creepy Heartless are in such a cheerful place like CHRISTMAS TOWN," Kiera told no one in particular as they reentered Halloween Town.

"I can. You get used to it after already being here once."

"Yeah, well, not all of us have had that awesome experience, Sora," she replied moodily. Though this whole thing was...well, AWESOME, she knew it would end way too soon, just like in the other worlds.

In the graveyard, fighting Heartless was a lot different. Kiera was dodging huge falling tombstones left and right, but eventually they made their way through the chaos to Curly Hill, which is where two of Kiera's most favorite scenes from the movie happened.

The first thing to greet them were Lock, Shock, and Barrel in a giant Heartless contraption. "Get 'em!" Shock called out, pointing at them.

Sora and the others got ready for a really tiring battle. Kiera, on the other hand, started bouncing on her heels, giggling excitedly.

"This is gonna kick MAJOR ass! Ahhhh, I'm so excited! Ready when ya'll are!"

Sora seemed to have a lightbulb moment. "Hey. Kiera."

"Yeah?"

"I think I just figured out how you could be the most help in this fight."

She blinked, cat ears twitching with curiosity and her whole face brightening even more. "Reeeally?"

He grinned despite himself, deciding he should NEVER let her come with them to Halloween Town again, because that damn costume and its effects were making her even harder to get annoyed at. "Yep. Here's what you're gonna do..."

* * *

Kiera entered the contraption with a _**POOF!**_

Lock and Shock both jumped, and Barrel scowled. "Who the hell are YOU?"

"And how did you get in here?" Lock asked shrilly.

She giggled. "I can teleport. 'Cause I'm awesome and all. Guess what?"

"What?" Shock asked eagerly, earning a smack in the head from Lock and Barrel. "Ow!"

Kiera then let out a rather psychotic laugh. "I'm about to OWN you! Muahahahaha!" With that, she summoned a wrench and started undoing bolts and such on the contraption.

"HEY! STOP THAT!" Lock hitched onto her back, but was then flung off with ease. Kiera summoned an old-fashioned cage, trapping the three inside.

"This is BULLSHIT!" They screeched, and she grinned innocently, wrench positioned on the last bolt.

"You KNOW...You guys were kinda my fave characters. Along with Jack and Sally, of course. But I'm afraid Sora's right; you guys are due a lecture from Santa Clause. Besides; anyone who sneaks out of trouble by breaking a window that obviously DESERVES to get an earful."

And with that, she unscrewed the bolt rather dramatically, and the contraption spun at warp-speed before crashing to the ground.

* * *

Kiera had teleported to Sora's side right before impact, and she tossed the bolt into the air before catching it with one hand all expert-like, smirking triumphantly.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel were sprawled out in their now-broken cage, groaning. "Ugh...She's so evil..."

"If she weren't with _them_...Maybe we could've let her join _us_..."

"SHUT UP SHOCK!" Lock and Barrel shrieked before groaning some more. They stood up suddenly and started snickering.

"Hehehehehe...That was fun."

"Let's go see if Oogie's ready!" And before anyone could grab them, they had run off. "OOGIE?" Sora and the others exclaimed in unison.

"Isn't he the one that tried to take over Halloween Town before?"

Kiera and Jack nodded. "That's him. Friends, I hope you're ready for a load of trouble..."

Kiera simply popped her knuckles and let out another random psychotic giggle. "This is gonna be SO kick-ass."

Sally came running for them. "Hey, Sally, what's up?"

"It's Oogie. He's kidnapped Santa Clause!"

"WHAT?"

"And they're headed for Christmas Town!" She added urgently.

Kiera looked at everyone and flashed her cat teeth. "What're we still doing here, then? It's time to kick some buggy ASS!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVENTEEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

They headed for Santa's workshop after following some chimney smoke and were greeted by a rather interesting sight.

Not only was it decorated drastically different, but Santa was tied to a conveyor belt.

Kiera sweatdropped. "...This looks like Vegas with a _seriously_ demented twist," she said thoughtfully. Sora sweatdropped as well. "Where the HELL do you come up with this stuff?"

"You wouldn't understand," she said impatiently, nearly cut off by Oogie's laughter. He suddenly jumped down, and Kiera's temple throbbed at Sally's shrill scream.

"Am I the only one that saw him practically _pounce_ on poor Sally? That's just...so wrong.."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Give your perverted mind a rest for a sec, would ya?"

"Oogie!" Jack exclaimed, seemingly the only one upset at the moment.

Kiera and Sora blinked. "Oh, right. OOGIE!" They exclaimed with the same amount of emotion, making Donald sigh and shake his head.

"You and I have a score to settle, Jack. Same goes for your little sidekicks." Kiera noticed Sally creeping out of Oogie's sight to help Santa, and decided to buy her second-favorite Nightmare Before Christmas character some time.

...Plus, she really wanted to irritate Sora some more. She pointed at him and snickered. "Hahaha. He called you Jack's LITTLE sidekick. Sooo-raaaa's liiii-ttle!"

"If I'm little, then you're a MIDGET!"

Her eyes narrowed, and they had a stare-off. "...That can't be proven."

* * *

"CAN TOO!"

"CAN NOT!"

"CAN TOO!"

"CAN NOT!"

"CAN-"

"SHUT UP!" Donald and Santa Clause shouted, while Jack laughed gleefully. "Ahh, young love. So funny when frustrated."

"Not now, Jack. Not...NOW!" They both shouted.

Oogie sweatdropped. "...And people thought me and MY first girlfriend were idiots."

"WE'RE NOT DATING!"

"You had a girlfriend?" Kiera asked with a sweatdrop, making everyone else sweatdrop too. "You know he thinks we're a couple, right? Or did that just go completely over your head. Did the cat ears block it?"

Kiera rolled her eyes. "Sora, EVERYONE thinks we're dating. It's probably because I'm so lovable and you won't stop _looking _at me like that," she replied matter-of-factly.

"...You can't prove that."

"CAN TOO!"

"CAN NOT!"

"Oh jeez, not again," Everyone muttered. Oogie sighed and rubbed his temples as they continued to argue, finally bellowing "SIIIIIIIILEEEEEEENCEEEE!"

They closed their mouths instantly, blinking up at him innocently. He smiled evilly. "...Thank you. Now, back to business."

"We KNOW you've done something with Sandy Clause!" Jack accused, pointing at Oogie.

"Sandy Clause? I don't know what you're talking about!" He sneered. Kiera sweatdropped. "...Oh, how convincing."

"I don't think he's trying to be convincing, he's just trying to piss Jack off," Sora replied.

"...Shut up. Just SHUT UP! CAN I NEVER BE RIGHT JUST THIS ONCE? Oh, but Sora's ALWAYS RIGHT! HUH?"

Sora sweatdropped. "...What the hell."

"SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!" _**THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.**_

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit...DAMMIT!"

Kiera giggled maniacally. "Every time I do that, I feel like watching InuYasha!"

Oogie clapped gleefully. "Oooh, again, again! ...Bahhh, nevermind. WHY is this roly-poly red guy here? Time to go, Big Guy!"

Kiera snapped her fingers agitatedly. "Damn, failed again. And here I thought that'd keep him occupied for sure."

Sora drooped. "So you basically tortured me...for no reason."

She grinned. "And you're surprised becaaaause?"

* * *

"...True, very tru-..." He trailed off and stared at Oogie as they both heard him laugh gleefully again.

They both sweatdropped massively and tilted their heads to the side in amazement as he proceeded to play with Sally's dismembered leg that she left as a decoy.

"...His foot fetish...Never ceases to disturb yet amuse me," Kiera stated with another sweatdrop.

Santa started hopping off, and Sally waved to get his attention. "Mr. Santa Clause!"

Oogie looked up from his newfound plaything to growl and try to follow, but Sora and the others took up fighting stances.

Kiera summoned a mace, twirling it ominously. He growled again. "Why you...AH!" He seemed to have a Lightbulb Moment and ran towards the three giant conveyor belts, trotting inside.

They hopped onto the middle belt as he suddenly ascended from some sort of mid-air glass platform, laughing sinisterly.

Dark energy surrounded all three conveyors, and they whirred to life. Kiera tripped over herself, but gained her balance quickly and dodged a maniacal toy just in time.

Donald ran into the dark space just like Oogie had, but ended up on the conveyor to their right.

"What the...?" He quacked in amazement.

"Ya'll didn't honestly expect him to fight _fairly_, did you?" Kiera said dully. She looked at Sora with an innocent smile, and he sighed tiredly. "...WHAT."

"I have an idea. But in order to teleport, I haveta stay in one position and have my eyes closed. Your back looks like it provides those two conditions."

His temple throbbed, and after trying to avoid looking at her widened brown eyes, which were now giving him the ultimate Puppy Dog Look, he sighed heavily again and relented. "...Fine. FINE. But this BETTER be good."

"Oh, it is," she said as she hopped onto his back with ease. Sora groaned, and she rolled her eyes. "Oh PLEASE, I'm not heavy."

"I know, but your knee went into the back of MY knees, moron!"

"TAKE IT LIKE A MAN! A MANLY MAN!"

"A manly man?"

"A MANLY MAN!"

Sora sighed and shook his head, but before she closed her eyes, she saw his grin. In a matter of moments, she was on the platform with Oogie, who had his back to her.

* * *

"Heh heh heh, look at 'em squirm- ...Wait, what? Where'd the redhead go?"

"Right here, Bag O' Bugs."

He whirled around. "How the hell'd you get up here?"

"By the pure power of AWESOMENESS," Kiera declared as she summoned an object and put it behind her back.

He eyed her suspiciously. "What's that you got there, toots?"

"Ugh, I _hate_ it when people call me that."

"All the more reason!" He replied brightly. Kiera simply scowled at him. "A little birdie told me, you had a foot fetish. Soooo, I decided to use your worst enemy- THE ARM, A HAND INCLUDED!" She exclaimed as she whipped out a mannequin's arm.

Sora sighed from down below and facepalmed himself. "Great, we're EFFING DOOMED, _THANKS _KIERA!"

"YOU OWE ME _TREATS _WHEN I _SAVE _YOUR ASSES!" She shouted back. Oogie sweatdropped. "...It must be a love-hate relationship with you two."

Kiera simply nodded as Sora shouted a stream of protests down below. "Indeed, sir, indeed it is. You have NO IDEA. EN GARDE!"

After about five minutes of them both being on even ground, Kiera...CHEATED. She summoned a banana peel and threw it at his face as a decoy before using the mannequin to put a tear in him and push him over the side.

She stopped the conveyor belts before hopping down, landing gracefully between Sora and Jack.

"...And the cat lands on her feet," Jack commented.

Sora snickered. "About time, she's known for landing on her ass every damn day."

"...Soooo-ra?" She said sweetly, purring into his ear.

She smirked at the shivers that ran up and down his spine. "Wh-What?"

"SIT, YOU JERKFACE!"

_**BAM! THUD!**_

"Owwww, I think I landed on something..."

"Yeah, your ass. WELCOME TO MY WORLD!"

* * *

Donald and Goofy sweatdropped, but Jack chuckled. "I must admit, that was quite clever, Kiera." She gave him a high-five as they watched Oogie turn into nothing but bugs.

Donald stomped on the King Bug, as she called it, and she clapped. "Alright, Christmas is saved...AGAIN!"

"How'd you know?" Sora asked.

She waved him off. "Pfffttt, I've only seen the movie about eighty-seven bazillion times!"

"...Movie?" He and Jack repeated, and Kiera paled. "U-Uhhh..." Jack sighed and waved her off happily. "Well, nevermind. I better get back to business!"

"Leave that to Santa!" Donald snapped.

Goofy nodded. "Yup, you oughta stick to Halloween and spooky stuff!"

"Jack?" Sally called. She held out his Santa Clause outfit. "Here...It's done."

"SPLENDID!" He exclaimed, trying to get into the suit. Kiera started bouncing in place excitedly, making Sora sweatdrop, while Sally cleared her throat anxiously. "Jack...are you _really sure _you want to do this?"

"But I make an _excellent _Sandy Claws!"

Then Santa came out, and Kiera got even more excited. "I think I might pass out!" She said giddily, making Sora sweatdrop even more.

"Now listen here, Jack Skellington. You saved me, and Christmas as well. And for that, I'm very grateful. But please promise you won't cause any more trouble! ...And about that suit? Don't even THINK about taking over for me again!"

Of course, Jack tried to plead his case some more. "I just thought you could use a little help this year, Mr. Claws! You must be EXHAUSTED from all the preparations. And...I wouldn't mind a second chance to get this whole Christmas thing right."

"Yes, being Santa CAN be tiring. But lemme tell ya something, Jack. Seeing the delighted faces of children when they discover the presents I've brought them makes it all worthwhile, year after year after year. And you, Jack- you love to make them gasp and see them shiver with fright. What if someone tried to take that away from _you_?"

Jack paused to think about that one, scratching his jaw and cheek thoughtfully and sort of anxiously.

"I believe he's had what therapists call a 'breakthrough'," Kiera said matter-of-factly, making Sora sweatdrop.

Donald opened his mouth to say something, but Sora shook his head. "If you get her riled up, I might have to inflict bodily harm."

* * *

"We both have very important jobs to do, Jack," Santa continued as if they had never said anything.

Donald whispered something to Goofy, and they both snickered before running over to Sally. Kiera watched suspiciously as they whispered something to the ragdoll, and she giggled as well before creeping off.

"Mine is to take care of Christmas, and yours Halloween. So we both have to do the very best we can."

They then returned to the teens' sides, whistling innocently. "Where'd Sally go?" Sora asked. "Besides, you're the face of Halloween, Mr. Jack Skellington. The Pumpkin King! The Knight of Nightmares!"

"NOWHERE."

"And even though you're fascinated with Christmas, Jack...Halloween is your true specialty. Don't you see? Children rely on us both to do our jobs. Halloween needs your best, and I know Christmas needs mine- urgently," Santa finally finished, him and Jack having no clue about the others' conversation.

With that, Santa turned towards his shop. "You're right!" Jack exclaimed, striking a pose that reminded Kiera WAY too much of Rock Lee.

She groaned. "Awwww, DAMMIT, he makes me wanna watch Naruto real bad JUST to see the Fire of Determination burning in Lee's eyes!"

"...What?"

"SHUT UP, SORA, YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!" She wailed.

"...That time of the month got you down?"

Her temple throbbed. "SIT."_** THUD.**_

"...Okay, I had that one coming."

"Damn _straight _you had that one coming."

Jack sweatdropped. "...As I was saying. I AM the Pumpkin King! And if Halloween becomes too routine, I just need to think up scarier things, to make them SCREEEAM!"

"Hey, that rhymes!" Kiera exclaimed happily.

"Ja-ack? Oh, Ja-ack!" Called a voice Kiera would recognize anywhere for its trademark whiny-yet-authoritive quality.

"IT'S THE MAYOR, THE ONE WITH TWO FACES!" She squealed, resuming her Fangirl Bouncing Pose.

* * *

"I've been looking for you _everywhere_! We need to go over the plans for next Halloween. I can't do anything without _your _approval."

"So true! Let's go talk, Mayor..."

"Good luck, Jack Skellington!" Santa called.

Kiera drooped. "...And then just like that, my favorite Disney character was gone. Just walked _right _out of my life."

"...Who the hell's Disney?" Donald and Sora wondered simultaneously. Kiera looked right at where she imagined a camera would be if this were a movie, or a show, or even...hell, even a video game.

"...Bitter irony at its best. Disney unknown by his own greatest creations."

Santa just blinked. "...Indeed. And I've got lots of names to check and preparations to finish, so IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME...!" He said cheerfully.

Sally then suddenly squeezed into place beside Kiera, who was now between Santa and Goofy. "Ah! Kiera! What size is that _wonderful _costume of yours? I was wondering how to proportionize it for someone like me, someone a lot..._bigger _than you."

Kiera's temple throbbed. "...You mean _taller_, DON'T you?"

She laughed anxiously, holding up her arms in different positions while stealthily pushing her forward. "Only if it doesn't offend you!"

After winking at Donald and Goofy, Sally and the other two pretty much shoved her into Sora, who then made them both fall like the TOTAL IDIOT he was.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Kiera demanded from him.

"Whaddaya mean 'what the hell,' YOU'RE the one that barreled into me!"

"Maybe if you had been PAYING ATTENTION, you would've seen them PUSH me into you!"

"I was occupied."

"With WHAT, your mom?"

"...No..."

"You wouldn't understand, AGAIN," Kiera said impatiently. Sora just sweatdropped and shook his head. "Whatever. Anyways, I saw a gingerbread man walking down the street, THAT'S why I was occupied."

She immediately whipped her head around to look in all directions. "Really? WHERE?" It was then she noticed the plant being dangled by Sally's stray thread, right above their heads.

Sally grinned evilly. "Miiiiistleeetooooeee," She and their two Disney friends cooed.

* * *

Sora and Kiera exchanged one look and waved each other off.

"Naaah!"

"Been there!"

"Done that!"

"Several times, actually, if you think about it."

"Very true."

"And it lasted WAAAAAY longer!"

"Indeed."

Everyone's jaws dropped as Sora helped Kiera up, to which she flashed a cat-like grin, and they walked towards the exit to Halloween Town talking about ramen noodles.

"...WHAAAAT?" Everyone shouted.

Suddenly, Jack's Sandy Claws suit started glowing, and it turned out to be the portal out of there. After saying goodbye to everyone, they were back on the Gummi Ship in a matter of seconds. Donald and Sora sighed and shook their heads.

"I can't believe we ACTUALLY had to pry you away from there."

Kiera sniffled. "How would YOU feel if you had to leave your childhood dream behind?"

Sora sweatdropped. "You...wanted...to...hug a skeleton?"

Her temple throbbed, and she waved him off. "For the MILLIONTH time, you WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!"

"THEN BY ALL MEANS, HELP ME TO, BECAUSE NOT UNDERSTANDING IS SOOOO EFFING ANNOYING!"

Kiera eyed him suspiciously as he breathed heavily, trying to regaini breath from all the shouting. "...Since when do YOU say 'eff' or 'effing'?"

* * *

"GAH! DO YOU NEVER LISTEN TO A WORD I SAY?"

"Not really. It depends on how much you've annoyed me prior to your statement," she replied casually. It was around the time Sora started growling under his breath that Goofy started doing that weird-yet-always-amusing laugh of his. "Now, _you two_..."

He waggled his fingers, which they saw were gripping Sally's mistletoe right above their heads, and they groaned. "It's a TRADITION!" Goofy exclaimed. "You wouldn't go and break TRADITION, now, would you?"

"Yeah, of course we would," they replied dully.

Donald rolled his eyes and held up a drawstring bag before pulling out a camera and fiddling with it. "This WHOLE SACK filled TO THE BRIM with munny is yours to split if you kiss."

The two exchanged a look, and Kiera sighed moodily. "Ya'll are WAY too perverted. What's the big deal about us kissing? We've already done it- ...what, twice?"

"Technically. Three if you count my cheek."

"Yeah."

"But we don't have PROOF!"

"Whaddaya need proof for?" Sora asked suspiciously. Donald sighed. "A few of our...friends want proof that you two are getting along. They were considering making Kiera stay behind in Hollow Bastion if you weren't, to make sure no harm befalls either or both of you."

"But...That...THAT'S NOT FA-A-AIR!" Kiera whined.

Sora sweatdropped. "Oh, wow. No annoying teammate? How...uh...TRAGIC."

Kiera narrowed her eyes before glancing at Donald. "That camera ready?"

"I _think _so."

She didn't wait for the duck to check, and with a tug on Sora's collar she kissed him squarely on the mouth before he had time to stop her. There was a flash and pop, and she quickly pulled away and released his collar before looking to Donald.

Her temple throbbed as Donald hit his camera a couple times and the film popped out. "...Whoops."

* * *

All three of them sweatdropped, Kiera slowly grinning at how red Sora was. "Awww, did I make Sora _blush_?" She cooed.

"Why you _little_-"

"Nah-ah-AH, do you wanna fall on your ass again?"

He opened his mouth to protest before sighing heavily in defeat. "...First she kisses me, then she threatens me. I just can NOT win for losing."

"Nope."

"Hey, I don't think the camera was on," Goofy informed Donald.

"Yes it was, that's why the light went off, genius!"

"Just tryin' to help, Donald!"

As the two teens stomped off in opposite directions, Kiera just now feeling embarassment sink in and make her cheeks flush, the two Disney characters groaned. "WAIT, come back! I think I figured it out, you guys!"

"NOT ON YOUR DAMN _LIFE_!" They both shouted.


	17. The Search For Kiera's Hot Mess

****

Back again! Thanks for all the reviews, not ONE of them nagging me about the huge time lapse! ...Though i really kinda deserved it XD.

**Oh well, I'M HERE NOW! And on that note, ENJOOOOY, and REVIIIEWWW! :D**

* * *

Kiera stomped around the room, eating her ramen noodles furiously. Stupid Sora. He had been smirking at her ALL damn day, looking all smug.

Wasn't SHE supposed to be looking smug? SHE kissed HIM after all, and it wasn't like it MEANT anything...BUT STILL! "Dammit, what has the world come to?" She exclaimed with her mouth full, letting out a string of curses as she slowly realized she burnt her tongue.

"Great, great, EFFING GREAT!"

She heard snickering, and glared at Sora as he spun his chair around. "...What's so funny, Sora?" She demanded.

He spun back lazily to smirk at her, YET AGAIN, making her feel even pissier almost instantly. "Ohhh, nothing. It's just interesting to see how dysfunctional kissing me's made you in less than twenty-four hours."

"IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT, NOW STOP BAGGING ME ABOUT IT, DAMMIT!" Kiera practically screeched.

He just laughed and turned back around, and she scowled before sticking her tongue out at his back.

"I saw that."

Her scowl deepened, and she turned her head towards the ceiling as she shouted, "CHIP, DALE, IS THE PATH CLEARED YET?"

"DO-O-O-OEEESSS IT S-S-S-SOOOUND CLE-E-EAA-R-R?" They shouted back, their voices bouncing around as turbulence rocked the ship.

Kiera stumbled and fell in a trash can ass first, making Sora laugh even harder. She stood up angrily only to find it was STUCK to her ass, and he nearly rolled on the ground with laughter.

She stomped off, head held high with dignity, trash can swinging haphazardly in time with her movements. "...Whoever puts trash cans in the middle of the room should be SHOT."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

They were finally in the next world.

Donald's face had just stopped turning shades of green and yellow from all the turbulence, Kiera's ass was its usual awesome self instead of being trapped within a trash can, Goofy was...Goofy, and Sora was _his_ usual annoying-ass self.

"Why're you glaring at me like that?" Sora wondered with a sweatdrop.

Kiera's glare intensified. "Your voice is extremely annoying to me at the moment."

Everyone sweatdropped, and Sora just sighed and shook his head. "Jeez, I feel bad for the NEXT guy you kiss!"

"SIT!" _**THUD.**_

"DAMMIT, STOP DOING THAT, KIERA!"

"IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN STOP PISSING ME _OFF_, SOOO-RA!"

Sora huffed and stood up while Kiera stomped ahead of everybody. Donald just quacked agitatedly.

"Not MY fault the film popped out. If you two could just try ONE more time-"

"NO!" They both shouted, making Goofy chuckle and Donald sigh. "Alright then, don't blame the consequences on me!"

Kiera huffed again, then slowed to a stop. "...What NOW?" Sora asked warily, but she ignored him and ran to her right, looking out from a very familiar ledge.

"Oh no WAY...Two of my favorite movies back-to-back? First Nightmare Before Christmas, now..." She trailed off as the other three gawked at the pirate ship in the distance.

"Well, THIS place is..." Sora breathed, trailing off as well.

"Kinda different," Goofy finished.

They heard a woman scream, followed by more screams, and ran towards the sounds, stopping at a balcony with a stone wall. "Something's up," Sora declared.

"No SHIT, Sherlock," Kiera muttered, making his temple throb.

"Organization XIII?" Goofy suggested. "Or the Heartless!" Donald added.

Kiera shook her head excitedly, leaning against the stone wall just like the other two were. "Nope, not quite! It's AWESOMER!" Sora and the other two sweatdropped as she ran off, leaving them behind.

"...Only one way to find out. Kiera, wait for me!"

"SCREW YOU, I WANNA SEE THE PIRATES!"

They screeched to a halt, looking at each other. "Did she just say...PIRATES?"

* * *

Kiera waited "patiently" (here meaning tapping her foot and yelling "SORA, GET YOUR ASS INTO GEAR BEFORE I MISS JOHNNY DEPP!" even though he had almost caught up to her and the other two were further behind) for her companions to catch up before strolling casually around the last corner.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran past her, making her hair stick out on end from their speed, and her temple throbbed. "Aww, now I don't look suitable to meet Jack Sparrow AT ALL!"

She stomped after them, and saw Captain Barbossa talking with Pete. Pete turned towards them, as did the pirates. "See, I knew it! Those are the punks I was tellin' ya about!"

Kiera scowled. "Snitch!"

"Who're you calling _punks_? It's Sora, Donald, and Goofy to _you_! And don't you forget it!" Kiera ran over and stomped on Sora's foot, making him groan.

"What about me, MORON?"

"How could you forget HER?" One of the pirates called out, and his statement was followed by lots of chuckles and a random wolf-whistle.

Kiera gave them a half-wave of acknowledgement, making Sora roll his eyes. "Hiya, I'm Kiera. Don't forget me either!"

"That we won't. And we'll engrave it on your tombstone, to be sure," Barbossa replied matter-of-factly.

"Whoa! I like your style," Pete said admiringly, making Barbossa roll his eyes. Kiera jutted her chin out defiantly, hands on her hips. "You'd have to catch me first, old man."

There were low whistles and lots of laughter from the other pirates, and Barbossa himself let out a hearty laugh or two. "Lass, you've got a lot of nerve, I'll give ya that. But I have bigger fish to fry. Men – half of you stay here and indulge these cullies. The rest – bring me that medallion!"

"AYE!"

Sora groaned. "Aww, we only get to stomp a few of you?"

Kiera's temple throbbed. "...Bigger fish to fry? IS HE IMPLYING I'M SHORT?"

"...Well, you ARE short."

"I'm five foot two...and a HALF, thank you!"

"I'm five foot six, Small Fry. Point being?"

"My POINT IS...SIT!" _**THUD.**_

"DAMMIT, CAN YOU ABUSE ME _AFTER_ WE BATTLE THESE BLOODTHIRSTY PIRATES?"

Kiera sniffed importantly. "...Fine. Hey, I'll be right back."

"What the-WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?"

"OFF TO FIND MY IDOL!" She shouted back, running off. Donald and Goofy looked at Sora, who just sighed and shook his head, summoning his Keyblade.

"...Baahhh, who needs her?"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"...Sora?"

"WHAT," He replied moodily after failing to defeat yet another pirate. "...WE NEED HER," Goofy and Donald said in unison, making him sigh.

"Well, I'm not her keeper, I dunno where she went!"

"Aren't you two _connected _or something?"

"Yeah, well, the connection's a bit FAILED at the moment!" He replied impatiently. Sora was SO not in the mood.

Finally, he sighed. "It's no use. We can't defeat 'em."

"Aye, what'd you expect?" One of them replied with a slight chuckle. Sora noticed the moon peeking out from behind the clouds.

"Say your prayers," The same pirate sneered around the same time the moon was fully exposed, showing all the men as skeletons.

All three of the Junior Heroes gasped, and Pete waved his hands in warning. "Hey, watch out, they can see ya! Stay away from their magic!"

"What for?"

He sighed woefully. "Weren't ya listening to me before?"

Sora smirked. "Hey Pete, thanks for the tip!" Pete whined miserably. "Ha! Epic FAIL." Sora made a face almost as soon as he said it, realizing he had just used a Kiera Term. Great, she was RUBBING OFF on him?

_...Well, THAT can't be good._

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE****...**_

"Jaaack? OH JACK SPARROW, WHERE ARE YOOOOU?" Kiera called out eagerly in a musical tone. She couldn't remember (despite watching Pirates of the Carribean fifty million times and riding the Disney World ride twice more than that) where exactly the jail was located at Port Royal.

She sighed impatiently, inspecting a sign, and it was then that she heard a British woman yelling. "Where are you taking me? Let me go! UNNGH!"

Kiera's temple throbbed. "QUIT YOU'RE HOLLERIN', I'M TRYING TO FIND MYSELF A PIRATE HERE!"

And then Orlando Bloom nearly ran her down. "Oh, hi, it's you," Kiera groaned, rubbing her head, which had hit the cobblestone hard.

Orla- _...Excuse me, WILL TURNER,_ helped her up. "My apologies, Miss." Kiera waved him off. "Nahh, it's fine. Hey, have you seen Jack Sparrow around?"

He apparently didn't hear her, and he looked around impatiently. "Did you see which way that man went? The one carrying a woman over his shoulder?"

"Oh, you mean the one carrying away Elizabeth, your beloved? Nope, but I know where he's headed," Kiera declared, blinking innocently.

Will looked at her eagerly, too happy to even realize she knew about his and Elizabeth's "relationship". "Ah! Which way, pray tell, Miss?"

"Uhhhh, he went...THAT-a-way, towards the docks! Towards the Black Pearl," She informed him.

Will just blinked at her for a second, and she waved at him. "Bye!"

He grabbed her by the arm gently, pulling her back as she tried to run off. "Please, show me the way, Miss?"

Kiera huffed. "...Ah, what the hell. You and Sparrow are bound to cross paths in a few minutes or so anyway!" She said cheerfully.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to be cornered by Heartless. "What ARE they?" Will asked in disbelief.

Kiera summoned a stack of China dishes with a temple throb. "Damn Heartless. I don't think they'll EVER leave me alone!"

"YOU brought them here?" He clarified, his eyebrows shooting up as he watched her take off their heads one by one with the plates, laughing maniacally the whole time.

"...Demonic," He muttered under his breath while she glanced back at him; luckily for him, she didn't catch that last part of his statement.

"Hey, don't go blaming this on ME! According to Yen Sid and Sora, they're in ALL the worlds."

"Watch out! It's Heartless!" Donald suddenly quacked.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of them. Go! Take co-...KIERA," Sora stated in a deadly tone. The Gatekeeper-In-Question turned to look at him, hand on her hip as she smashed a Heartless in the face with the China plate in her other hand.

"...Hey Sora! How's it goin'?"

* * *

"So you ran off...to fight Heartless instead of pirates?"

She sighed and threw the rest of the plates like Frisbees, slicing the remaining Heartless' appendages and making them disappear.

"NOOOO, I ran off to find the hot mess known as Captain Jack Sparrow!"

Will watched on with sweatdrops as the two teens continued to argue.

"Who the hell's this Captain guy?"

"Why should I tell YOU?"

"Because I asked?"

"You didn't ask NICELY."

Sora sighed impatiently. "Kiera, would you please care to explain who this Captain Jack Sparrow dude is?"

Kiera tapped her chin in thought before smiling and skipping past him. "Nope, I'm good!" Will turned to look at Donald and Goofy as they followed Sora and Kiera, who were currently shouting about a kiss and how it had "NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH IT!".

"Do they..."

"Do this often?" Goofy offered.

"ALL the time," Donald answered.

Will shrugged with a sigh. "I...Guess I shall follow you four." Kiera turned to give him a thumbs-up. "I'll take ya to Elizabeth!"

"Great, now there's a GIRL involved?" Sora whined.

"YES, WHAT OF IT?" Will and Kiera demanded.

"Oh, nothing's wrong with girls in general," He said quickly. He glanced at Kiera, who was trying to hop on one foot while tying her shoe (and failing epically).

"...There's just one girl in particular that always seems to keep me guessing."

* * *

Kiera huffed as she tripped again and finally lifted her foot so it was on Sora's shoulder. "Here, make yourself useful. Will, go straight ahead with Donald and Goofy, towards the docks! Hurry!"

Will nodded and ran, Donald and Goofy close behind.

Kiera smirked, noticing that Sora kept glancing at her outstretched leg. "...What, surprised by my fexibility?"

"_Usually _flexible people are graceful, can you really BLAME me?" He replied. Her smirk grew, and after double-knotting her shoe, she patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Unfortunately, you'll probably never get a chance to see _just _how flexible I can be," She commented.

Sora grinned. "_Probably_?"

"DEFINITELY."

"Oh, so I'll DEFINITELY get to see how flexible you are! I KNEW you kissed me for some other reason!"

"No, that's not what I meant-"

"Nope, too late, you already said it."

"SO-RAAAA!"


	18. ENTER: Captain Jack Sparrow and an iPod!

**Back! Thanks for the reviews and alerts, glad to know ya'll are still reading after the long wait i keep mentioning! **

**Enjoy, and review! :D**

* * *

When Sora and Kiera finally caught up with them, they were at the docks, and Will was looking out at the sea in dismay as the Black Pearl sailed away.

"We're too late!" He exclaimed.

"Huh?" Sora asked, and Kiera rolled her eyes. "Newbie," She muttered.

Ignoring her, he continued to stare at the ship as Will explained the current situation. "Those pirates kidnapped Miss Swann, and took her to this ship. Now they've sailed, and I'll never be able to find her!"

"Then she's long gone. The Black Pearl is nigh uncatchable. Best find yourself another girl, mate."

Kiera nearly keeled over in shock, slowly turning around before squealing rather fangirlishly and running onboard the Interceptor. "GAH! CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!"

He flashed a toothy grin. "Aye, luv, that's me."

"CAN I HUG YOU?"

Everyone sweatdropped, and Jack eyed her as if she were clinically insane. "...How old are you, lass?"

"Fifteen."

He shrugged and held out his arms. "Good enough for me." Kiera ran over to him and glomped him, making Sora's temple throb. "I'm sure a guy like that doesn't like being attacked by girls like _you_," Sora informed her.

"Actually mate, I'm right-fine with it," Jack replied.

Sora's temple throbbed again as Kiera totally ignored him, poking at Sparrow's arm as if to make sure he was real, which he seemed to find just SO AMUSING.

"...Oh. I stand corrected."

* * *

Will sweatdropped as Kiera flitted around the pirate, asking about a million questions a minute. "What are you doing aboard the Interceptor? She's off-limits to civilians..."

"Ah, fortunate that I'm going to commandeer her, then. She'll make a fine pirate ship," Jack replied.

Kiera watched as Sora brightened like her Christmas trees used to before her mom stopped celebrating it. "A _pirate_?"

She sweatdropped. "...Gee, Sora, _nothing_ gets past _you_."

His temple throbbed. "Hey, don't spoil this for me!"

"Then just ignore me. I mean, YOU DO THAT ALREADY!" Jack chuckled at their behavior, and Will suddenly made his presence more known by speaking up. "Take me with you! Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and save Miss Swann!"

Jack turned his head to look at him better, and Will stepped forward. "I got you out of that jail cell. Do this, and your debt's repaid."

"You'll have to win fair lady's heart alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me." Sora drooped. "Aw, c'mon Captain!"

Jack looked utterly unconvinced, and Kiera stamped her foot impatiently. "JACK SPARROW, you help him out or so help me..."

He looked over at her, extremely amused. "You _honestly_ think you scare _me_, lass?" "She will in about five minutes tops," Sora muttered, making her temple throb.

Kiera peered up at Jack, playing up her brown eyes innocently. "Now, Captain, do you really think you can sail this ship _all on your own_? I'm sure William TURNER over there...William...Turner...William...TUUUUURNEEEERRR...Is _more _than capable of helping out!"

She winked at him, and Jack nodded with sudden understanding. "AHHH! I see! William TURNER. Come on aboard, mates!"

He leaned towards Kiera as the others boarded. "Thanks, luv."

She flashed a grin. "Anytime, Captain Sparrow."

"Thanks, Sparrow," Will said appreciatively. "CAPTAIN Sparrow," He corrected. Sora paused in front of him. "I'm Sora. This is Donald and Goofy..."

"AAAAND?" Kiera prompted. Sora sighed. "...And you've already met _Kiera_." Jack nodded, breathing deeply and heading down the plank back to the docks.

"Weelll, Mr. Turner, if you'll get us ready to sail, I have some effects to liberate."

"Aye-Aye, hurry!" Will called after him.

"Naturally." Jack paused his stride to turn and wink at Kiera. "Pleasure becoming acquainted, luv."

She waved in acknowledgement, and as soon as he was gone, she giggled to herself like a giddy schoolgirl. Sora rolled his eyes, and she made a noise of defense. "Hey! He's AWESOME, and you know it!"

"You look like even more of an idiot than usual, going all giggily and...GIRLY like that," He replied.

"Oooooh, he went there," Goofy and Will exclaimed.

"...Well...this may be hard for you to BELIEVE, but I AM a girl, Sora! Besides, you're just saying that because I always make YOU look like an idiot, because I totally OWN your ass!" She shouted back.

"Ohhhh goodness!" Goofy and Will whispered.

"And you're just saying THAT because you KISSED ME!"

"And you're just bringing up THAT old chestnut because you're...um..." Kiera suddenly felt it dawn on her, and a slow smirk spread onto her face.

"Because YOU, Sora...are JEALOUS!"

He turned five different shades of red, all from anger and embarassment. "A-AM NOT! YOU JUST _WISH_ I WAS JEALOUS!"

"Who WOULDN'T be jealous of Jack Sparrow, he's BADASS, clever, funny, cunning...Everything you're not," Kiera shot back.

"Ohhhh DAMN! Sora, are you gonna just stand there and TAKE that?" Donald and Will said excitedly.

The two teens slowly turned to glare at them. "YA'LL stay out of this, and GET THE DAMN SHIP READY!" Kiera shouted before stomping off to the other end of the ship, leaning over the railing and huffing moodily.

Sora went to the other end, doing the same thing, both of them muttering things under their breath that were definitely not intended for young audiences.

Will just grinned and shook his head. "...Ah, young love."

"SHUT UP!" They both shouted.

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS ****LATER...**_

Will and Jack sweatdropped as they watched Kiera give yet another Heartless a very cruel and painful end.

She saw another one lurking in the shadows, trying to jump her, and threw a lethally-sharpened ballpoint pen towards it.

It was gone in mere moments. She was huffing, and stomped over to perch on the railing, glaring at the ground.

Kiera didn't exactly know why she was angry, she just was. It was probably her period, it was bound to come any day now.

Unfortunately for her friends.

She hoped with all her heart that Sora would feel the symptoms, too. That would make it BEARABLE.

"Why are you so fixated on that compass?" Will asked Jack suddenly. "It'll be she that leads us to Isla de Muerta – where Barbossa's headed. Savvy?"

"I love it when he says that," She told Jiminy under her breath. He was currently perched on her shoulder, "taking notes".

He nodded and scribbled something down at a furious pace, making her grin at the prospect of someone reading THAT random fact about her.

"How do you know?" Sora asked.

"Ah, lad...He and I once had our eyes on a treasure – Aztec gold. 'Twas hidden on Isla de Muerta. But he turned traitor and stole my ship."

"So he's after that treasure, then."

"Treasure's already his. So's the curse on it. I have no desire for such treacherous spoils. But I _will_ have back what's mine – the Black Pearl."

Kiera sighed and shook her head. "Pure poetry." Sora's temple throbbed. "Will you admire pirates a little QUIETER?"

"If you don't like it, SWIM to Isla de Muerta!" As if on cue, the boat made a sudden turn, and Kiera and Jiminy flipped right over the side.

"HOLY CRAP! HOLD ON KIERA, I'M COMING TO SAVE Y-"

"I'm right here," Kiera informed Sora dully from behind, having teleported back. Everyone turned around to gape at her with sweatdrops.

Jiminy was currently wringing out his antennas, and once he finished, wrung out a clump of Kiera's hair that was waving across her shoulder innocently.

She just inhaled deeply before barking "SIT!" as Sora opened his mouth to say something.

_**THUD.**_

"DAMMIT, I WAS GONNA OFFER ASSISTANCE!"

"Of course you were. You know what? For now on, before I tell you to sit, I shall call you InuYasha!" Kiera declared proudly. She then turned to look at Will and Jack. "...Any idea where I can find some dry clothes? Oh, wait, NEVERMIND!" She said suddenly as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

After a few tense moments, she managed to summon a huge fan that blew hot air. "Yay!" She ran over to turn it on, but it wouldn't work. Kiera noticed the plug and facepalmed herself. "Oh, right!"

She then summoned an electrical outlet, plugged it in, and was dry in about seven minutes.

The other characters watched the whole thing in stunned silence, and Sora was the first to speak. He turned to Will and Jack, who were still absolutely dumbfounded.

"...She does this often."

* * *

"How on EARTH did you accomplish such a feat?" Will asked in amazement.

Kiera shrugged. "Pure awesomeness, Mr. Turner. Pure awesomeness." Jack had a contemplative look on his face, which could mean a huge number of things.

Before she had time to really wonder about it, they were swiftly approaching Isla de Muerta. She knew because it looked just as ominously badass as it did in the movie.

Sora sweatdropped as she started bouncing excitedly, and when they weighed anchor, she _skipped_ off the gangplank. Only for Jack to turn to them and say, "Wait here, lads...and lass. Young Turner and I will rescue the lady."

Kiera's jaw dropped, and Sora made a noise of indignation. "HEY! What about us?"

"You're to guard the ship, o' course. It's a task given only to the bravest pirates." Kiera struck the Ultimate Depressed Pose. "And THAT'S a line given only to the stupidest tag-alongs."

Sora sighed, not hearing what she said. "Allll riiiight, if you say so..." Kiera turned to look at him in disbelief. "You BOUGHT that?" She hissed as Jack and Will ran off to be all heroic.

He rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Kiera. When a pirate says something, I THINK he means it! Amateur..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"...I think he was trying to just fast-talk us," Sora commented suddenly. Kiera sighed exasperatedly and facepalmed him. "NO KIDDING!"

"OW!" He rubbed his face exaggeratedly, while Donald just shook his head at Sora. "And you fell for it."

"You did, too," Kiera pointed out matter-of-factly, making Donald quack in indignation. "Did NOT! ...It was all part of the plan."

She sighed and looked around lazily. "What plan, the plan to make me slowly and miserably die a tortuous death by boredom?" Kiera suddenly had a stroke of genius and summoned an iPod, fully charged. "AAAHHH! YAAAAYYY!" She shrieked, turning it up all the way and doing a little spazzy circle of happiness.

They watched as she danced and skipped and did a whole number of things around the ship, belting out to whatever kind of music she could find.

Sora had about eight sweatdrops at this point, and Goofy patted his shoulder. "At least she's not a terrible singer, right Sora?"

"Matter of opinion," He grumbled. Kiera popped up next to him, grinning at him. "Yeep. Some people would totally disagree with you and say I can't sing, but I guess we know better, hmmm?"

He just glared at her before suddenly looking over towards Isla de Muerta. "What's keepin' them?"

Donald nodded thoughtfully. "They sure are taking their time about it..."

"If Pete's hanging around, there's bound to be Heartless, too," Sora pointed out.

"And Will and Jack aren't used to fighting Heartless," Goofy added.

Kiera rolled her eyes and ran off the gangplank. "Then stop trying to rationalize it with yourselves and let's go kick some ass!"

* * *

After battling Heartless and pirates here and there, Sora and the gang finally ran into Will and Elizabeth.

"Hurry! They're after us!" They exclaimed.

Kiera sighed impatiently and summoned a slingshot, and after a few tries, finally landed a hit directly in each pirates' faces.

"BOOM! Headshot! BOOM! Headshot!" She shouted as they grabbed one eye each and fell to the ground.

The others winced, and Elizabeth looked her up and down. "You are...quite barbaric." Kiera grinned. "Why thank you!"

"Oh, it was by _no means _a compliment."

"HEY! Why you little-" Sora grabbed her by the waist and dragged her off as she lunged for Elizabeth. "STOP BEING AN IDIOT, BEFORE YOU ATTRACT MORE PIRATES!"

"OH, AND YOUR HOLLERIN' WON'T, SORA?"

"...THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT!"

"JUST _GO_!" Everyone else shouted, far ahead of them at this point. They huffed, and Sora finally just slung her over his shoulder. "HEY! PUT ME DOWN!"

"NO TIME!"

Kiera huffed and rested her chin on her arms, which were crossed and propped up against his shoulders. "...There's not even any pirates in sight, moron."

"I'd like to keep it that way, and with YOU around, it's damn near impossible."

She waved him off. "Naahhh, I think you just wanna keep your hands on my waist."

He rolled his eyes. "...Yeah, that's it. You read my mind."

_**

* * *

**_

_**THIRTY ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"...I _had _to. Jack's no fairy-tale pirate. The real ones aren't to be trusted," Will concluded. Sora looked up at Kiera, who was busy singing along to Vampire Weekend's "Holiday" while perched up in the crow's nest.

"Hoool-i-day, o-oh ho-li-day, and the best one of the year!"

"HEY! Kiera!"

"WHAT, SORA, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" She shouted, pausing the song and glaring down at him questioningly.

"They left your little buddy behind and whacked him in the face," He informed her. She shrugged. "Jack? I know. I've seen that movie SO many times...We'll be met up with him again in no time at all," She assured him before pressing play and swinging her legs in time with the music.

Sora stared up at her. "What a know-it-all. I hope she falls."

"SORA!" Everyone exclaimed. He shrugged. "Just thinking out loud!"

"Will! Look!" Elizabeth gasped.

They all looked in the direction she was pointing, seeing the Black Pearl swiftly approaching. "What NOW?" Donald asked.

"What would Jack do?" Sora asked.

"I'm not sure..." Will said thoughtfully. Sora sweatdropped. "Actually, I was asking Kiera." Kiera blinked down at him innocently, pointing at herself. "Moi?"

His temple throbbed. "Don't make me regret it before you even ANSWER the damn question." She shrugged. "I guess...He'd run for it. EPICALLY run for it, of course," She said before pressing play again.

"Sounds good to me-" The whole ship shuddered, and Kiera being the clutzy idiot she was fell out of the crow's nest, landing on top of something.

Sora groaned underneath her, and she couldn't help but giggle. "I should've known," They said in unison.

* * *

"WILL!" Elizabeth exclaimed. He had apparently fallen overboard.

"EVERYONE HIT THE DECK!" Goofy shouted as the ship rocked sharply again, causing Kiera to slide off of Sora, towards one of the openings. Goofy caught her right as her head started poking out of the opening, and she smiled over and up at him gratefully before hopping up and brushing herself off.

"We're just gonna have to fight!" Sora declared.

"AYE-AYE!" Kiera shouted enthusiastically, cranking the volume to full blast on her iPod before summoning a bow and arrows with various sharp and pointy objects as arrowheads.

"Let the games begin," She said with an impish laugh as she changed it to "Stupify," by Disturbed, putting it on full _FULL _blast and stuffing it in a safe place (formally known as her bra).

_ Ahhh, nothing like good old violence._


	19. Barbossa's Defeat & Kiera's PopTart!

**Sorry for the wait! Well, I'm here now, so read, review, ENJOY! :D**

* * *

"We beat the pirates!" Sora cheered a LONG time later. Kiera took the earphones out of her ears, and everyone jumped at the sudden noise caused by it being on full blast.

"You're welcome!" She said cheerfully.

"What the hell's that godawful noise?" Sora wondered. Her temple throbbed. "THAT would be the beautiful sound of Panic! At the Disco. ...You know what? InuYasha, SIT!"

_**THUD.**_

"DAMMIT, WHAT THE HELL'S INUYASHA ANYWAY!"

"Sorry, but it's something SO COOL that only those who KNOW about it are cool enough to...KNOW ABOUT IT!"

"...That makes no sense whatsoever!"

"Neither does YOUR MOM!"

Sora was about to retaliate, but then he drooped. "That reminds me...I haven't seen her in, like...two years...holy crap, IS SHE STILL ALIVE?"

Donald and Goofy sweatdropped as Sora's face fell even further, causing Kiera to immediately feel guilty. "Gah! You can get up, I'm sorry! Here!" She said quickly as she summoned a cupcake, milk, and cookies.

She handed him the cupcake, keeping the milk and cookies, making everyone sweatdrop even more.

Including the pirates they had yet to notice. "...Well, anyway. WE BEAT THE PIRATES!" Goofy cheered.

Sora and Kiera made shouts of agreement, cookie and cupcake crumbs flying everywhere. "Well, didya now, laddies and lass?"

Sora gasped and whirled around, while Kiera spun on her heel dramatically and miraculously didn't stumble.

Behind them stood Barbossa, a few pirates, Elizabeth, and- "Jack!" Sora exclaimed. Kiera waved to them all. "I have cookies!" She informed them.

"That's...wonderful," Elizabeth said uncertainly. Sora sweatdropped. "Kiera, did you by any chance hit your head on something?"

She waved him off. "Nah. Milk and water just make me hyper, and THIS is the result!" Sora sweatdropped again. "...Milk...and WATER...make you HYPER...What about caffeine?" Kiera shrugged. "Depends. Sometimes it makes me sleepy, sometimes it makes me bounce a lot. I dunno how it works."

"...That makes two of us."

"ANYWAY!" Everyone else shouted, making them jump back into reality with nervous laughter. "...Sorry."

"Now then, I'll be havin' back that medallion." Sora clutched it tighter, and they turned around to see more skeleton-pirates behind them.

"Unless it's more important than their lives?" Barbossa continued after all four of them got into fighting stances.

"Barbossa!" Everyone turned to look at Will, who was standing on the railing of the Interceptor.

"She goes free."

Barbossa cackled. "Go ahead, boy – shoot! We can't die!"

"_You_ can't..." He turned the gun towards his head. "But I _can_," He continued, Sora sweatdropping as Kiera muttered the phrase along with Will under her breath.

"How do you-"

"SHHHH!"

* * *

"My name is Will Turner. My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner! His blood runs through my veins!"

"Aye?" Barbossa replied in disbelief.

"On my word, do as I say, or I'll pull the trigger and send my soul to Davy Jones' Locker!"

"...Name your terms, Mr. Turner."

"Release Elizabeth...And Kiera, and Sora, and Donald, and Goofy, too!" Kiera smirked. "Heheheh, he named me second!"

Sora rolled his eyes, while Barbossa said calmly, "Anything else?". Kiera held up a finger. "Uhh, Will, you might wanna specify WHERE they- mmmph!" She exclaimed as a pirate snuck up on her and shoved the cookie into her mouth.

Her temple throbbed as she attempted to chew it into smalller pieces before it all slid down her throat.

Jack was busy gesturing to himself spastically (as best one _can_ gesture to themselves when their arms are bound to their sides), and Will simply said "Leave – now!".

Barbossa bowed at the waist, but the dramatic air was kind of ruined since Kiera was currently choking on her cookie and making stupid noises. "Agreed. Leave we shall..." He lifted his head up. "But the Heartless..._stay_."

He flashed an evil grin as Pete's laughter wafted over them. He appeared on the ship, grabbed Will, and disappeared.

Kiera pointed to his Heartless henchmen excitedly. "HOLY CRAP! ...Those look JUST like the monkeys from The Wizard of Oz!"

Sora's temple throbbed. "You're REALLY focusing on THAT at a time like THIS? Just how much of an idiot ARE YOU?"

Pete and Barbossa cackled. "Now, now, laddie. Watch what you say to women, it usually comes back to haunt ye!"

Kiera glared at him. "Chyeah, no kidding. Once we BEAT THE CRAP OUTTA THESE HEARTLESS, you're SOOO gonna get it! One of these days, your freedom and survival's gonna rely on ME, and THEN who'll be calling WHO an idiot!"

"Me, because that's NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!"

"WILL TOO!"

"WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER! _TWICE_!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Way to go, Barbossa. Who knew it'd be this easy?" Pete gloated from above deck.

"Barbossa, you coward!" Elizabeth fumed. Kiera sweatdropped, and sweatdropped even more once Sora muttered, "That's the LAST time I trust a pirate!"

"...And you call ME an idiot."

"SHUT UP, KIERA!"

"MAAAAAKE ME!"

"The powder kegs are ready, Cap'n!" A voice bellowed. "Then I bid ye farewell! ...Hurry up, let us take our leave...before the auburn lass starts squallerin' again," Barbossa commented as they left.

"HEY, WATCH IT!" Kiera shouted after him. Once they left, she sighed cheerily and bounced up, the ropes falling away from around her.

"Well, I'm glad I've taken theatre as an extra elective for two years!" She declared, fully relishing the look on Sora's face as everyone's jaws dropped.

"H-How...How did you-"

"Summoned a lighter before they tied me up, used it right after they turned their backs, kept the severed ends in my hands, and VOILA! ...In other words, my pure awesomeness was a major factor," Kiera said with a shrug.

Jack stood too, putting his knife away. "Well, I'll be damned. She beat me to it." He gave Kiera a mock-bow. "I must admit, I'm a bit impressed, lass."

Kiera waved him off. "Ahhh, you'd be surprised how often that happens."

Sora's temple throbbed. "Could you please just untie me?" Kiera glared at him, and he looked to Jack for assistance, who just chuckled. "That's up to your bonnie lass, mate. I shall go see to the gunpowder. I'm not about to lose this ship!"

Sora glanced up at him. "...I still don't plan on trusting pirates again."

"Wise policy, lad." With that, he was gone, and Sora laughed nervously at the devious expression on Kiera's face.

She untied everyone else, who snickered and left Sora on his own. "OH, THANKS GUYS!" He bellowed after them.

Kiera planted her hands on her hips, tapping her foot against the wood impatiently. "Well? I'm waiting."

He looked at the ground, pouting before sighing heavily. "...I...I GUESS...I'm, uh...I'm sorry."

"Foooorrr?"

"For...saying...for _implying_ you were an idiot..."

"AAANDD?"

"For eating the rest of your cookies?"

"You did WHAT?"

"Nothing!"

Kiera sighed and shook her head. "Good enough." Sora sighed with relief as if she had been holding him over an open fire on a spigot, and her temple throbbed.

She untied him as slowly as possible, and he sighed again. "Why don't you just use a knife or lighter like you did on the others?"

"Because I don't wanna end up killing you with one of 'em."

Sora sweatdropped and cleared his throat nervously. "O-Oh. Good reason."

"I KNEW you'd see it my way!" With that, she stood up and bounded up the stairs. "C'MON SORA, YOU'RE TAKING WAAAY TOO LONG!"

"JUST WALK, KIERA!"

"YES SIRRR, BUT ONLY BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"All clear!" Sora announced after they got rid of all the Heartless and gunpowder. Kiera took the earphones back out of her ears as Jack sighed, taking the wheel.

"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship. But I'll be havin' her back soon enough."

They arrived on Isla de Muerta in no time at all, and Kiera AGAIN skipped off the gangplank excitedly. And she was stopped by Jack.

AGAIN.

"Stay with the ship, lasses."

"No way!" "Will could die in there!" Elizabeth added.

"William's fine. Trust me." Was Jack's oh-so-convincing reply.

"I am not a fool, Jack," Elizabeth replied. "Then trust _me_ instead," Sora said. They all looked at him. Kiera was the only one looking annoyed.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy – bring Will back safely!" They nodded and started walking, while Kiera stomped her foot.

"Ya'll, what about _me_?"

"WATCH THE SHIP! IT'S A JOB SAVED ONLY FOR THE BRAVEST!" Sora shouted back over his shoulder.

"...Dammit, I hate him so much."

"HATE YOU TOO!"

"GO TO HELL!" Kiera shouted back with a huff before turning on her heel and stomping back up the gangplank. Elizabeth opened her mouth, and she waved her off. "I know, I know, barbaric and vulgar, NOT NOW!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"...And who in their RIGHT MIND would be able to tolerate such...such...constant ANNOYANCE? I mean, SERIOUSLY! And he just LEAVES ME HERE? What the hell's his PROBLEM? I mean, Jack I can understand. Goofy's just kinda going with the flow. Donald just plain doesn't care. But SORA could EASILY have said 'Hey, why doesn't Kiera come help out, too? By the way, Kiera, I like your shoes.' SOMETHING! …JEEEEZ!" Kiera ranted.

She was currently pacing up and down the Interceptor, speaking so quickly she didn't even know half of what she had just said.

Elizabeth seemed to not exactly know, either. She was standing by the railing, looking out at the sea with a worried look on her face.

She looked over at Kiera and sweatdropped. "Miss Sage, sit down...You're making wear marks on the wood from all your pacing."

Kiera plopped down rather unattractively, pouting. "Pacing calms me."

Elizabeth smiled. "I know you are worried, but-"

"Worried?" She scoffed and sat up a little straighter. "I'm not WORRIED. Why would I be worried? Who said anything about being WORRIED?"

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow. "Mm, yes, of course. Why would you be worried?"

"Exactly! Who CARES what happens to Sora? Now Donald and Goofy, I might be worried about, but I know they can handle themselves extremely well. I mean, so WHAT if Barbossa is, like, THE hardest opponent in the whole series. I mean, he even COMES BACK TO LIFE-"

"He does WHAT?"

"Uhhh, nothing! Not a thing. ...And then there's that whole thing with them possibly making him a Heartless, making him even HARDER to beat and all, but WHO EFFING CARES ABOUT SORA? NOBODY, THAT'S WHO! ABSOLUTELY NOBODY!"

Elizabeth seemed to be very amused by all this. "You KNOW...I didn't exactly peg you as one to do as you were told, Kiera."

She eyed the older girl suspiciously. "...True..." "Then go! Go keep your sweetheart safe!" Elizabeth cheered as Kiera got up.

Kiera turned to glare at her, temple throbbing at the huge grin on the woman's face. "...You just WANT me to shoot you, huh?"

She blinked at her innocently. "Why, Ms. Sage, you say that as if you would ACTUALLY shoot someone as charismatic and wise as me, especially when deep down you and I both know I'm right."

Kiera nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, you're right." "HA! I knew it! And now that you've admitted your inner feelings, things shall be a lot..." She trailed off as Kiera smirked and ran off in the direction the others had gone.

"You're right...that I NEVER do as I'm told!" Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. "...Easier."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Stupid Sora, not waiting for me...Now I have to go on PURE INSTINCT as to where he is..." She muttered to herself, peering over a random boulder.

She could see Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack running in all excited-like, and tapped her nails on the rock impatiently.

"CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow!"

"Sora!"

"Donald Duck!"

"Goofy, too."

Kiera bounded in, sliding into place next to Jack. "AND KIERA SAGE, DON'T FORGET HER!" Sora did some weird kind of YOU-SCARED-THE-HELL-OUTTA-ME! Move that reminded her of InuYasha or Naruto.

Damn, she missed watching those in the middle of the night when she couldn't sleep. "What the hell're you doing here?" He demanded.

She put her hands on her hips defiantly. "Helpin' out. Lord knows you'll need it. I'm too epic to not lend you my assistance! So you might as well shut up before you even START bitching at me!"

The pirates (Jack and Will included) started snickering, and Donald and Goofy just sighed and shook their heads as the two had a stare-off.

"At this rate, they'll NEVER give us legitimate proof she can tag along..."

Of course, they were too busy being annoyed to hear Goofy's statement, and finally Barbossa cleared his throat. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand. You wanna play pirate, laddies? And...lass. Well, best save the playactin' for the nursery."

Kiera's hands returned to her hips in a flash. "Now who said anything about ME wanting to act like a pirate? I'm better than a pirate."

"Is that so?" Barbossa replied with an amused smirk.

"I'll believe THAT when I see it," Sora muttered. She glared at him. "You sure? Because I can show you when I kick your ass, AFTER I kick theirs!" She shot back.

"Ohhhhh!" The pirates commented, making Sora's temple throb. "...Just let the man finish talking."

Barbossa nodded. "Aye, thanks lad. AFTER THEM!"

* * *

Kiera sighed and pressed play on her iPod quickly, glad it still had a lot of battery power left, then shoved it into her pocket moodily. "Sora, I have an idea. Can you cover me?"

He huffed. "This better be good." She rolled her eyes. "Whyever would you think otherwise?" This time, HE rolled his eyes. "Just hurry up and get on with it!" He snapped as he took out two pirates to their left.

Kiera sighed. "Damn annoying little – nope, focus Kiera, focus!" After a few moments of heavy concentration, she nodded to herself. "Try and get them all clustered together, all of ya'll!" She shouted over the clanging of swords and keyblades and magic.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy nodded, not bothering to question it, and she waited patiently until the majority of the skele-pirates were clustered together. "NOW!" Sora shouted, and she let the piano drop.

It landed on all but three of them with a satisfying _**CLAAANG **_and a few random piano notes. Kiera used even more concentration to summon a microwave on one pirate's head and set it on a high temperature and time.

The other two, she attacked with a few sporks.

Needless to say, Sora was kind of speechless. Wait, no he wasn't, that'd be too convenient. "...That...was the most sick, twisted, messed-up...AWESOMEST thing I've ever seen in my life!"

Kiera simply batted her eyelashes innocently. "And it's all thanks to you covering me. Now, if I hadn't been here, that fight would've been a lot more boring and would've taken a lot more time, WOULDN'T it?"

He glared at her before sighing in defeat. "Yessss..." He admitted grudgingly. She pumped her fist triumphantly. "HECK YES!"

Sora just shook his head before smirking triumphantly. "Not playacting _now_, huh!" He shouted in Barbossa's general direction, making Kiera sweatdrop.

"Yeah, because I'm sure he even remembers that, Sora."

* * *

"Thank you, Kiera," Will said suddenly, making her jump. She grinned and waved him off. "Ahhh, it was nothing-"

"HEY, I covered her! Without me, she wouldn't have been able to d-" Kiera stomped on Sora's foot as hard as possible, making him practically double-over.

"NO PROBLEM AT ALL, IT WAS MY PLEASURE!" She shouted innocently over Sora's groaning.

Goofy scratched his head thoughtfully. "Duuuhhh...Where's Jack?" They all looked around before finding him on a mound of treasure, engaged in a heated and intense swordfight with Barbossa.

"Yeah! Get him, Jack!" Sora cheered. Kiera suddenly remembered some random Public Service Announcement commercial in which the dad was cheering with his 8-year-old cheerleader daughter out on the sidewalk.

"Oh Jack Spaaa-row's much too much, Jack Spaaa-row's much too much!" Sora sweatdropped as she started doing cheer positions. "What the hell're you doing?"

"We got the spirit, we're hot, we can't be stopped! We got the spirit, we're hot, we can't be stopped! We're gonna beat 'em, and bust 'em, beat 'em bust 'em beat 'em bust 'em, beat 'em, and bust 'em, beat 'em bust 'em beat 'em bust 'em – now LET'S...GET...a LLLLIII-ttle bit ROWDY, R-O-DOUBLE YOO- WHOO! DEE WHY!"

She topped it all off with a roundoff backhandspring, and everyone just gaped at her. Barbossa included. Jack took this as his chance, and tried to knock the sword out of his hand.

Unfortunately, he didn't succeed. Instead, Barbossa plunged his sword into him. "JACK!" Sora exclaimed.

Kiera pouted. "Damn. I was a cheerleader for _five whole minutes_, managed to _not _trip, and he goes and gets stabbed."

Sora gaped at her. "How heartless could ya BE?"

"Because I know he's gonna be fine, JEEZ!" She snapped.

"How would you know?"

"BECAUSE I'VE ONLY SEEN HIS MOVIE EIGHTY TIMES, INCLUDING THIS PART!"

"WHAT THE HELL _IS _A MOVIE, HUH?" He demanded.

"YOU GUYS, YOU'RE RUINING THE DRAMATIC ATMOSPHERE!" Donald and Will snapped. They blinked innocently and fixed their attention back onto Jack, who was currently all skeletonized and admiring his skeletonyness in the moonlight wafting through the cave.

"Show yourself, Pete! The tide has changed!"

"See? I _told _ya you'd be needin' Ole Pete!" Pete declared as he suddenly appeared near the mouth of the cave, and a weird green lizard-like creature slithered over to Barbossa.

With an evil chuckle, the lights were cut off. "I'VE GOT THIS," Kiera declared, turning her iPod's backlight on as bright as it could go and waving it around until she found the creature that had made everything so dark.

"THERE!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

Kiera sighed in relief as Barbossa doubled over, the international sign for "Crap, You Got Me".

She looked at Pete, who quivered under her gaze. "T-This ain't over!" He declared somewhat-miserably before running off.

"Right. Care to surrender, Barbossa?" Jack asked pleasantly.

The Captain stood and drew his sword. Jack sighed and threw his sword down with a _**CLANK**_. "Alrighty then, I'm tired of this. What say you we call it – a draw?"

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell ya?" Barbossa asked with a chuckle, arms spread wide. Jack threw the coin and shot his pistol, making everyone jump.

Even Kiera, who had been expecting it. Barbossa just laughed harder, and Will piped up from behind him, "Laugh while you can, Barbossa."

Everyone looked at Will to see his blood reflecting off an Aztec coin as it fell to the coffin-like chest with all the other pieces.

With a weird rustling sound in the air, Barbossa suddenly hugged himself. His hands spread out in front of him, palms up. He was shaking.

"I feel...cold..." And just like that, he collapsed.

Everyone sighed and left the cave, heading for the exit. As they drifted in and out of the holes of sunlight, Kiera jumped about a foot when a hand clapped her on the shoulder.

"Thanks for that shout of yours, lass. It was quite entertaining," Jack commented. Kiera resisted the urge to giggle like an idiot and simply nodded casually. _His hand's still on my shooo-ulder! And Sora sure as hell doesn't liii-iike it! Thaaat's like a booonus, NanananaNAAA-NAAA!_

"No problem. It just sorta came to me."

"Liar," Sora muttered. "OH, AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?" "BECAUSE YOU WERE WEARING YOUR 'OHHHH YEAAHH, I REMEMBER THAT!' FACE!"

Kiera huffed. "...You can't prove that." Jack chuckled. "Lad, it's when I know a lass that well that I leave her presence – her _town_, even – as quick as I'm able."

"I wish I could," Sora grumbled. Kiera just beamed. "Yep, I sort of own him." "YOU DO NOT!" "SIT, Sora!"

_**THUD.**_

"...Sora, I'd call that being owned, no matter how unpleasant it might be for ye," Jack commented. Kiera snickered and held out her fist. "You tap my fist with YOUR fist," She prompted.

Jack did as she suggested, and she grinned. "You're a natural! It must be your coolness." "Aye, indeed," He agreed with a wide grin.

"So Jack, what now?" Will asked, smiling as well. "Whatever I want, now that the Pearl is mine again."

"That she is. Thank you, Jack." Will held out his hand, and Jack flinched backward comically.

"I didn't wantchya hittin' me again, mate!" He exclaimed defensively as Kiera and Sora started snickering.

"Well, see ya around, Jack Sparrow," Sora said after a few moments. "And remember to be good!" Donald added.

Kiera snorted a laugh. "HA! Jack Sparrow, good. That's a good one." Jack grinned again and ruffled her hair. "I like your style, kid."

"Why thank you! It's an art, really."

"Well, I'm off," He said, backing away slowly. Elizabeth suddenly appeared, running towards Jack. "WILL!"

Jack held out his arms, and she ran right past him, making him droop. Kiera tried to keep her smirk at a minimum as Jack stomped off.

Will and Elizabeth embraced, and Sora nodded. "Good for them." Kiera looked at him out of the corner of her eye and noticed his face was a bit red, but decided she was a bit scared to ask what the hell he was thinking about.

"Say, Sora, why's your face all red?" Goofy asked suddenly, making them both jump. "Dammit, YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO ASK, WHY THE HELL WOULD I WANNA KNOW?" Kiera demanded.

"What, scared he's thinking of YOOOOUUU?" Donald asked in a rather immature tone, making Goofy laugh.

Kiera's temple throbbed. "NO. I'm sure he's thinking about _Kaaaaairi_," She said in an equally-teasing tone, looking at Sora.

He backed up, waving his hands spastically. "I dunno what you're talking about! My face isn't even red!"

"It sure as hell is _now_," Kiera snickered.

Jack suddenly jumped as his compass gained a life of its own, jumping out of his hands and floating upward.

"GAH! HIS COOL COMPASS WAS THE ITEM!" Kiera squealed. And just like that, they were back on the Gummi Ship.

* * *

Once they were back, Kiera summoned a Pop-Tart. "Sooo, what exactly is this Kairi chick like?" She asked, sitting on a spinny-chair and nibbling on her snack eagerly.

Sora started laughing. "That's kind of cute! You think I'm gonna talk to you about KAIRI! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Kiera's temple throbbed, and she waved another Pop-Tart in front of his face deliberately. "It's chocolate-fudge-flavored. Fresh out of the toaster oven. And you...can't..." She changed her seductive purr of a voice into a shrill screech.

"HAVE ANY!"

"...DAMMIT! I didn't mean it!" He shouted before running after her. She simply picked up her pace.

"Pleeeease Kieraaa?"

"Nope."

"You look beautiful today."

"Wrong answer."

"You're right, what am I saying? You look beautiful EVERY DAY!"

"...Closer."

"I like your laugh?"

"Warmer."

"Your curves drive me crazy?"

Having reached the door to the Cot Room, Kiera turned to face him with a smirk. "That's all very good to know."

_**SLAM.**_

"...DAMMIT, THAT'S JUST PLAIN RUDE!"


	20. Feel Good Drag & Agrabah

**Baaaack again! Haha, it was so funny! I went to Disney World for vacation, and i was thinking "Hmmm...maybe i should update the Gatekeeper fic after I get back..." and then, a day later at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, I saw a guy with pinkish-orangeish hair dressed as...out of all the epic costumes...Halloweentown Sora. **

**I literally went "SQUEE! SORAAAA!"**

**My best friend and I promptly tried to get good pictures of him without looking like stalkers. We contemplated asking him for a picture, but we never got a chance, he was always ahead of us in the crowd!**

**So the only pics I got were of him after we left the Haunted Mansion, because we almost immediately realized he was right behind us in line! ...They aren't good ones, but it was still epically awesomesauce.**

**So yeah. I kinda considered that a sort of "sign". So read, enjoy, AND REVIEW!**

* * *

"'I'm here for you,' she said, 'And we can stay for a while. My bofriend's gone, we can just pretend...'"

Kiera started moving her fists like they were drumsticks, feeling proud that she remembered to lock the iPod so she wouldn't accidentally change the song in the process.

"Lips that need no introduction, now who's the greater sin? Your drab eyes seem to invite. Tell me, darling – Where do we begin?"

Her air drumming got even more spastic as she rocked out. "Was this over before...before it ever be-ga-an? Your kiss, your calls, your crutch – Like the devil's got your hand. This was over before...before it ever be-ga-an! Your lips, your lies, your lust – Like the devil's in your hands!"

She headbanged to the beat of the bass guitar, twirling around and Happy-Dancing. She heard Sora snickering, but was totally ignoring him, and she had a feeling he wasn't going to like that for much longer.

Sure enough, he cleared his throat and yelled rather loudly, "HAVING FUN OVER THERE?". Kiera paused the song and turned to look at him. "Huh?"

"Jeez, what the hell're you listening to?"

She grinned and held up her iPod dramatically. "THAT, Sora, is a wonderful question. Why, I'm listening to 'Feel Good Drag,' by Anberlin. Which happens to be my favorite song of the week!"

"Favorite song of the week," He repeated skeptically.

She nodded. "I can never pick a favorite song of all time, so I just pick 'em by the week. Seems more logical, if ya ask me. So yeah. And now, if you excuse me, I've got THE BEST SONG IN THE WORLD AS OF THIS WEEK to listen to!"

"Whatever you say," Sora said in a slight sing-song tone, making her temple throb. "Are you doubting my taste in music? ARE YOU?"

He shrugged, blinking innocently. "Maaaybe!"

Kiera huffed and summoned a docking station, positioning her iPod to it. Probably a good thing she did, too, because the battery was dangerously low.

She _would_summon an iPod that magically stays fully charged, but it would have to constantly feed off her own summoning abilities as a sort of fuel.

And that sounded worse than just having to charge it every once in a while.

She turned it up full blast while trying to find the end of the first chorus, not even fazed by the sounds of the next path being cleared.

"Prepare to be totally proven wrong," She informed Sora before pressing play dramatically. They were almost instantly engulfed by the wonderful sounds of Anberlin's chords.

* * *

"Everyone in this town, is seeing somebody else. Everybody's tired of someone, our eyes wander for help!" Kiera sang along with Anberlin's lead singer, Stephen Christian, while dancing around the room.

Whether he knew it or not, she wasn't sure, but Sora was grinning like crazy. "Prayers that need no answer now...'Cause I'm tired of who I am. You were my greatest mistake, I fell in love with your sin...Your littlest sin."

"Was this over before...before it ever be-ga-an? Your kiss, your calls, your crutch – Like the devil's got your hand. This was over before...before it ever be-ga-an! Your lips, your lies, your lust – Like the devil's in your hands!"

"Failure is your disease! You want my outline drawn...You were my greatest failure, discourse your saving song!"

She paused in her rockout to glance at Sora, and could tell he was starting to really like what he was hearing. Kiera tugged on the side of his jacket as the guitar solo continued. "C'mon, don't make me dance by myself!"

"I can't believe I'm doing this," He muttered as she continued to pull him along with her. "C'mooooon, Soraaaa, live a little! Unless, of course...You're just too SCARED to dance," She said innocently, resuming her air guitar as if she didn't care what he did.

"Scared? SCARED? Never!" He declared, doing his own air guitar. "Listen for the chord change...aaaand...3, 2, 1, GO!" Kiera said excitedly as she lead him into the chorus.

"Was this over before..." "Before it ever be-ga-an?" Sora joined in, making her grin.

"Your kiss, your calls, your crutch – Like the devil's got your hand. This was over before...before it ever be-ga-an! Your lips, your lies, your lust – Like the devil's in your hands!" They sang at the top of their lungs, continuing to rock out as the final chords played for the remaining twenty seconds.

They danced around the room, and she started laughing when he grabbed her hand and spun her.

The two sighed in disappointment when the song ended, but then Kiera smirked up at him smugly. "Weeeelll? Go ahead, say it."

Sora sighed again. "You were right, I was wrong. Anberlin rocks."

"Ah-_ha_! Told you!"

"Can we listen to it again?"

"No, of course not! ...You don't just _listen_, Sora, jeez. You feel it, you belt it out, and you rock it out while pretending to play instruments that you've never played before in your entire life," She replied as she ran over and went back to the song.

It had just started up again when they heard pounding on the door. Kiera and Sora paused mid-rockout, and the latter stomped over to the door, swinging it open.

It was Donald and Goofy. "The path's cleared already?" Kiera asked with the hint of a whine. "Yeeep! Time to go!" Goofy replied cheerfully.

"Awwww maaaan!" The two teens groaned as Kiera instinctively moved to grab her iPod. Then she remembered the battery was dangerously low and, with another rather loud groan, patted it affectionately before stomping after the others.

"What were you two _doing_, anyways? Playing instruments?" Goofy asked skeptically. Kiera and Sora exchanged a secretive smirk. "I..._guess _you could say that," She said mysteriously.

* * *

"Hoooo...lyyyy...craaaap...!" Kiera said absently as they took in their exotic surroundings. "Agrabah! We made it!"

"Gawrsh, I wonder how Aladdin and Jasmine are doin'?" Goofy wondered.

"Hey, maybe Riku's with them," Sora stated eagerly.

"And the King!" Goofy added.

"Keep dreaming, you two," Donald added in a "Baaahhh!" sort of tone.

"Aw, c'mon Donald. You were thinking the same thing!'

"No, I wasn't! Kiera, tell him!"

"Okay. YEAH, Sora, he wasn't thinking that! Donald _never _thinks!"

"HEY!"

She stuck her tongue out at him, making Goofy and Sora snicker. Kiera sweatdropped as Iago suddenly appeared, flying around Goofy and making him do some kind of really idiotic-looking spin that she barely getting hit by.

"Uh-oh, it's uh...um...It's Iago!" He exclaimed.

Donald and Sora turned around to look at them, wand and Keyblade at the ready. Kiera watched with interest.

"Hey, wait! You've got me all wrong!" Iago exclaimed.

"No, you're Iago, all right!" Sora replied.

"No, I mean, it's not the old me! I turned over a new feather. I'm legit, no more scams, promise!"

"I bet _that's _your new scam."

"No, wait, you gotta believe me!"

"Sora, let's go," Donald said simply, neither of them buying it.

"I was stuck inside that lamp with Jafar, remember? Well, I escaped, and some things happened, and...well..."

"So, free as a bird, huh?" Sora said smugly.

"Have fun!" Donald said in a rather obnoxious tone.

"Gawrsh, fellas. He looks pretty sad," Goofy commented as Iago landed on the ground, angled away from them.

Kiera nodded in agreement. "Agreed. Ya'll sound like jerkfaces. Especially Sora, since he's got a natural jerkface tone."

"Hey!"

Kiera rolled her eyes, ignoring him, and looking at the parrot. "Wanna cracker? ...KIDDING," She added at the look on Iago's face.

He shuddered. "I never wanna eat another cracker so's long as I live!" He declared. Kiera crouched to his level. "What about a cookie?"

Iago eyed her suspiciously. "Go ooonnn..."

Sora made an indignant noise. "Hey, don't give away your cookies!"

"Why, 'cause that means YOU can't have 'em?" Kiera replied with a temple throb. She summoned a chocolate chip cookie, and Iago practically swallowed it whole.

"I wanna apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine," Iago said after swallowing, while Sora continued to mope in the corner over the loss of the cookie.

"Could you maybe put in a good word for me?"

"Well, sure, we could do that! Right, guys?" Goofy asked. "Definitely! Right?" Kiera asked as well, looking at the other two.

Sora continued to pout at the ground, and her temple throbbed again. "RIGHT, Sora?" She growled as she stomped on his foot.

"ABSOLUTELY!" He shouted before groaning and grabbing his foot, making Kiera grin smugly.

"Well, there ya have it."

"WATCH OUT!" Iago cried suddenly, hovering above the ground and looking at something behind them.

Heartless were surrounding them, and they all sighed. "Here we go again."

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"How did I _ever _do this before I got another iPod?" Kiera wondered miserably after Sora destroyed the last one.

"With less whining," Donald replied.

Her temple throbbed, and Sora grinned. "He's right, ya know."

"SIT."

_**THUD.**_

"Ow!"

Suddenly, more appeared. "Get back up!" Kiera ordered, and Sora flew upwards. They all got back-to-back, sizing up the steadily increasing number of Heartless.

"Where the hell are they all coming from?" Sora asked no one in particular.

"Haven't the foggiest," Kiera replied after kicking one with her foot, not feeling like summoning something at the moment.

Iago promptly had a spazz attack after two tried to grab him, and in a seres of clumsy maneuvers, managed to take out a handful of them.

"This way!" Sora declared, running off to their right. Kiera and the others followed him, and he smirked.

"Y'know, I think he might be better at using random crap to his advantage than YOU are, Kiera," he commented once they reached a dead-end alley.

"SIT."

_**THUD.**_

"Dammit, not again!"

"Stop being a dumbass, then!"

"We'da been goners if Iago hadn't helped us. Ain't that right, guys?" Goofy commented, ignoring the other two as they started having a shouting match.

"I guess we owe you one," Donald replied grudgingly.

"Perfect!" Iago exclaimed, hovering up from his perch.

"But you've gotta win over Aladdin and Jasmine all on your own," Sora added, interrupting his and Kiera's argument.

She huffed, not used to him giving up on their shouting matches so easily. "Be on your best behavior, got it?" He continued.

"Yeah, I got it."

"Where IS Aladdin, anyways?" Goofy wondered.

"He's probably up at the Palace," Iago answered matter-of-factly. "Well then, let's go!" Sora exclaimed.

_**TWELVE MINUTES LATER...**_

Jasmine was standing outside the Palace entrance. "Jasmine!" Sora called out, causing her to turn around and immediately beam.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy! And...um..."

"Kiera Sage, at your service," She replied, curtsying as the other three bowed. _Hehehe, I've always wanted to say that!_

"Oh! I don't believe I've met you before," She said slowly.

"No, you haven't. Sora's just forced to do my bidding, is all. you haven't missed much," She replied. Sora made a face at her when he thought she wasn't looking, and she just rolled her eyes.

Jasmine flashed that same smile that Elizabeth always used around her and Sora, but didn't comment on their behavior. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Anyway, I never got to thank you three. You helped Aladdin defeat that awful Jafar and saved Agrabah."

Sora struck his ever-popular Hands-Behind-Head Pose. "All in a day's work," He replied casually.

Kiera made a face behind his back when she thought HE wasn't looking, but apparently he had been, because he smirked. "I _so_ saw that."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be looking at me all the time, jeez," She replied matter-of-factly, making his temple throb.

"Anyway, it looks like the Heartless are up to no good again. Is there any way we can help you out? Sora wanted to say that, but he was busy annoying me," Kiera continued.

Sora gaped at her. "...Actually, that _was _what I wanted to say. Almost word for word! How'd you know?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. I just did?" Actually, she had heard his voice in her head, but she decided telling them that would make them think she was even crazier than they already thought.

"Why'd you say it like a question?"

"I did no such thing!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

The other three shook their heads at their petty argument, and Goofy smiled at Jasmine. "Anyway, do you need any help, Princess Jasmine?"

"I can't say we do yet," She replied politely.

"Well, I guess you've always got Aladdin!" He said thoughtfully.

"He...hasn't been himself lately."

Donald stepped forward, waving his wand. "Is it because of the Heartless?" He demanded. Jasmine fiddled with her hands. "I'm...not sure. Usually, he's the same cheerful Aladdin. But sometimes...he just seems _sad_."

Sora and Donald struck thoughtful poses, making Kiera roll her eyes. Jasmine walked a little bit aways from them, looking rather worried and slightly uncomfortable.

"He leaves the Palace and goes off by himself all the time. I've asked him about it, but he says nothing's wrong..."

She turned to look at them, her hands curled into fists underneath her chin. "He's gone again today. What if he doesn't come back this time?"

* * *

"Hey, maybe he's got a secret girlfriend!" Iago exclaimed, rising a little higher from behind Kiera, whom he had been using as a hiding spot.

"I know, I'll go find out who she is!"

"Iago!" Jasmine exclaimed angrily, trying to grab him. "Quick, Sora, catch him! And I'll warn the guards and everyone in the Palace!" Iago flew to perch on Sora's shoulder. "Wait, see, that's the thing! He's not..." Sora trailed off as Jasmine ran into the Palace, and he looked up at Iago. "Nice move."

Kiera nodded in agreement. "Iago, you're off to a great start here, bud."

"Maybe it was something you said?" Goofy added, making Kiera and Sora facepalm. "Ya _think_?" They replied in unison.

"Gee, maybe we should go talk to Aladdin," Goofy continued. "He's gotta be somewhere in town, right?"

"Good idea! I wonder what he's been doing..." Sora replied as they started walking towards the marketplace.

"Or _whom _he's doing," Kiera added under her breath.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing!"

"Stop, thief!" A random Arabic voice shouted suddenly, making them all jump. Abu ran in front of them, and they all exchanged looks.

"Hi, Sora!" Aladdin suddenly said, making Kiera shout in surprise.

"Come back here!" The midget of a man screeched, shuffling after them. Kiera sweatdropped. "...Um...follow that midget?"

Sora nodded. "Follow that midget."

_**A ****MINUTE LATER...**_

"If you can't control that furball, put a leash on him."

"Look, I'm sorry! You should be ashamed of yourself, Abu! Uh...no hard feelings?"

The shopkeeper just growled and snatched back his lamp, stomping off. "Abuuu!" Aladdin bellowed, raising his hand threateningly.

They all knew he wasn't going to really do anything, though. They walked towards him, and he stood to look at them.

"Hey, guys. Sorry about earlier, I was kinda in a hurry."

"What happened?"

"You know Abu. He couldn't keep his paws off that lamp." Abu started having a spazz attack, and Aladdin shook a finger.

"No talking your way outta this one!" He and Sora started laughing, and Kiera just shook her head.

"Guess you can't be _too _down in the dumps," Sora commented after a little while had passed.

"Who said I was?"

"Princess Jasmine," Goofy answered. "She's worried 'cause you're always in town."

"Got a new girlfriend?" Donald asked bluntly, making Kiera roll her eyes. _As if. That's not in the Disney script, jeez!_

"No way!" Aladdin exclaimed, proving Kiera's theory. "Still...I guess there's no foolin' Jasmine, huh? See, Genie and Carpet took off to see the world. It's what Genie always wanted, so I wished him the best and all, but..."

"You miss him," Goofy stated.

"Man, things must be REALLY quiet with Genie gone," Sora commented thoughtfully, striking his Arms-Behind-Head Pose again.

Aladdin nodded. "It is. That's why I come here. The action – the people. There's always somethin' going on. I mean, c'mon! I met you guys here today, right? This place is full of surprises."

* * *

"Uh, Sora..." Goofy started, looking behind them.

"Iago?" Aladdin suddenly exclaimed, making everyone turn around.

Iago was sitting a little ways off, trembling. "Oh, right. He wants to apologize for all the trouble he caused."

"Oh, he does?" Aladdin replied skeptically. "Why's everyone sounding so skeptical today?" Kiera wondered.

"Gawrsh, he's so sorry, he's shakin'!"

Iago simply pointed a shaky wing straight ahead. "T-Th-That lamp!"

"What about it?" Aladdin asked. Kiera had already put two and two together, and she shook her head. "CRAP," She hissed mournfully. They'd have to fight Jafar, she could feel it.

"It was THE lamp!" Iago said urgently.

"C'mon, there're a million like it," Aladdin replied...you guessed it..._skeptically_.

"Hey! I was locked in that thing FOR MONTHS! There's no way I'd mistake it!" Iago screeched right in his face.

"...Then we'd better go back and talk to that peddler," Aladdin said at last.

"We're right behind you," Sora declared. Kiera groaned. "I was afraid you'd say thaaaat!"

_**TEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Is there any way that we can buy that lamp from you?" Sora asked.

"Of course. That is...IF you can afford it."

Aladdin gestured from by the door, out of sight, and they all nodded.

"No worries!"

"Yeah, we can pay you in royal tre-"

"DONALD!" Everyone shouted, and he immediately shut up. The peddler's slimy smile didn't waver. "May I interest you in _another _fine lamp?"

"No, that's the one we need."

"Ah, well – perhaps I can be persuaded...IF you bring me a treasure beyond even _my _imagination. Something, say, fit for a sultan..."

Everyone's eyes widened, and Kiera stomped forward, grabbing him by the collar. "How about this? _You _gimme the lamp, _I'll _let you live a little longer!" She growled.

Sora pulled her back by her arm, laughing nervously. "Ignore her, she's just having a bad day..."

"Lemme go, dammit!" She exclaimed, but he continued to drag her out. "I STILL WANT MY TREASURE!" The peddler called after them. "...And control your woman, for crying out loud!"

"I...am NOT his woman!" Kiera shouted back, and Sora sighed exasperatedly. "Will you just SHUT UP?"

"MY HONOR'S AT STAKE, HERE!"

Sora looked to be getting a headache, and Aladdin was snickering to himself.

"Put. Me. DOWN," Kiera growled.

"Only if you promise to act somewhat less hostile."

"...Fine. Promise."

Sora nodded with satisfaction and put her down, and she stomped off to sulk in a corner.

"...Treasure? That could be tricky..." Aladdin finally managed to get out.

"There's lots at the Palace," Donald pointed out.

"But it's not mine to take, and I don't wanna ask. I don't wanna worry Jasmine and the Sultan..."

"Hey, I know! What about the treasure in the Cave of Wonders?" Iago said eagerly. He nodded slowly. "Alright, Iago, you lead the way. And after we get the treasure, I _may _believe your apology."

"Okay!"

Kiera stomped after them, summoning some chocolate and biting it savagely. _Crap...my period must be getting closer. Awww, DAMMIT, that's the last thing I need!_

* * *

**Awww, poor Kiera, having to recieve Mother Nature's Monthly Gift soon. Actually, poor EVERYONE. Man, that's gonne be fun to write XD**

**In case you didn't catch it, the name of the song at the beginning is "Feel Good Drag," by Anberlin. It's not called THE Feel Good Drag, and they are NOT a Christian band. Not that I care, but there's always this huge controversy about it, even though the band (mainly Stephen Christian) has stated many many MANY times they are NOT a Christian band. They're alternative rock. So yeah, check it out, it's a cool song. **

**I warn you, though, the image of Kiera and Sora rocking out to that song will NEVER leave my head, and your imagination might meet a similar fate every time you hear that song. XD**

**So...anyway...hope you liked it! Review!**


	21. Cakes, Oranges, Memories, & Dreams

**Back again! Whew...REALLY long, you guys. But you get a few Sora/Kiera moments out of it, so it balances out, right? RIGHT? THOUGHT SO!**

**...Um. Read. Enjoy. Review! :D**

_**

* * *

**_

_**FORTY-FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

Kiera gulped, staring at the swirling black mass dead ahead. "...You...don't _honestly _expect me to go through that thing, do you?" She asked nervously.

She only had a few major fears. Crawly things, dolls, clowns, heights, and swirling black masses that screamed "CERTAIN DEATH".

Sora rolled his eyes. "Actually, yeah, I kinda do."

She shook her head quickly. "No way, nuh-uh. Count me out. I-I'll wait here!"

"Nope."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

Sora sighed and shook his head. "You guys go ahead, we'll catch up." The other four nodded and ran for the mass, going right through it.

Kiera plopped onto a boulder, crossing her arms and making a point of not looking at him. Sora rolled his eyes again. "C'moooon, you _know_ you wanna come with us."

"No, I don't. I'd rather stay _alive_, thanks. You go ahead if you wanna go through a swirling mass of impending doom!"

He sat on his knees and kept following her gaze, making it so she had no choice but to look at him. "Pleeeease?"

Dammit. She hated when he used that tone. It made the tinglies in the air come back, and made her feel like doing things she _knew_ she didn't want to do.

Stupid Merlin.

"NO, now stop using that stupid tone with me!" She shouted, not really feeling like forcing him to do it at the moment. It'd be nice if she didn't _have to_.

Sora sighed. "Oh well. You leave me no choice." She looked up at him hopefully as he turned to leave, but then he suddenly turned back around and ran to grab her.

Kiera moved to run away but ended up falling flat on her face behind the boulder. He picked her up gingerly and swung her over his shoulder, carrying her Sack-of-Potatoes Style.

"PUT ME DOWN!"

"Nope."

"Dammit, Soraaaa!"

"You'll thank me later!"

"I highly effing _doubt it_!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

After lots of kicking, flailing, screeching, and even a few attempts at biting him, Kiera gave up. They were swiftly approaching the swirling portal.

"Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"I hate you."

"Likewise."

Kiera huffed and crossed her arms over each other, hiding her face in the little hole her arms had made. She was trembling now, able to feel the dark energy.

His grip tightened, one arm around her legs (so she couldn't kick the crap out of him anymore) and the other around her waist (so she couldn't wriggle out of his grip, like she did earlier, which had led to him chasing her across a few yards of desert).

"Chill out, it's just a portal."

"That portal...looks like there should be neon lights spelling out 'DEATH TO ALL WHO ENTER' in bright flashy sequences," was her shaky reply.

Then a thought occurred to her. "You know what the sad part is?"

"That I have to carry you through it?"

"No, I mean besides that."

"Then no."

"You had your chance to be rid of me for a little while, but instead you drag me along with you against me will."

He paused before replying, "My extreme hatred towards you's probably what did it. Since you don't WANNA come with me, it makes me want to MAKE you."

Kiera sniffed importantly. "Since that's your fancy way of saying 'It'd be no fun without you, and also, I like your shoes,' I say 'Thanks'."

"You got about ten seconds before we go through it," was his reply.

Kiera tried to kick him. "C'mon, lemme stay here, _pleeeeaase_!"

"No!" He shouted, moving both his arms to pin down her legs before running towards the stupid dark purple mass of doom.

"DAMMIT, YOU SAID TEN SECOOOONNNNDDSSS!" She bellowed as they went through the portal.

"I LIIIIEEEEED!" He shouted back as she tried to fight the current of the portal back to Agrabah. He grabbed her at the last second before she was free of him, and shifted her so he was cradling her.

Well, more like a full-body chokehold.

"Kiera, dammit, you're fine!" Sora shouted exasperatedly, now standing still. "YOU LIE! LIE, I SAY! FALLACIES!" She screeched, eyes still squeezed shut as she tried to wriggle out of his grip.

Aladdin cleared his throat, making her abruptly open her eyes and stop struggling. She realized it wasn't the same type of portal as...say, a black hole, but more like a doorway into the location of the Cave of Wonders.

Which meant, there were no deep plunges, or swirling masses of doom. Just an opening from bright blue daytime to dark purple nighttime.

Kiera straightened and sniffed importantly as everyone stared at her. "...Oh. I see." "Dumbass."

"SORA, YOU STAY OUT OF THIS! ...You coulda _told me_ it was just a little doorway kind of thing," She added in a hiss once everyone shook their heads at them and kept walking.

"What'd be the fun in that?" He replied, loosening his grip, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

Kiera's temple throbbed, but she said nothing. She was tired, and wanted to be carried as long as possible. Even if it WAS Sora who was doing the carrying. And even if it WAS honeymoon style, which she always found corny and potentially life-threatening in the wrong situations.

Unfortunately, there were Heartless surrounding them before they even got through the entrance of the Cave, and Sora just up and dropped her.

"Gah!" _**THUD.**_

"HEY, THAT HURT, JACKASS!" She shouted indignantly, rubbing her poor butt. "It was either that or be cut in half!" Sora shouted back as the Heartless's sword sliced the air, right where she had been.

"Humph," was her simple reply as she summoned a flamethrower. "Flame on," she said in a rather pissed tone.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTY-FOUR ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Whoaaaa," Sora said in an awed voice. "WHAT?" Kiera asked in a deadly tone, breathing heavy and wiping some sweat from her forehead.

Her lower half, mainly her thighs, were getting that painfully familiar, dull sore feeling. The one that tipped her off that she was in for a long week.

He pointed to the walls of water that made up the hallway ahead of them, at the end of which there was a stone statue of... "Buddha?" She asked no one in particular before shrugging.

She and Sora seemed to notice the jewel at the same time, because they both slid up to it and put their faces as close to it as possible, peering at it.

"WHOAAA," they said in unison as Kiera poked it. "It floats!" She exclaimed. Donald and Aladdin sweatdropped, and they eached grabbed them by their collars. "C'mon, you two, leave the floating jewel alone."

"B-B-But-"

"NO."

"Awwww man!" They groaned, dragging their feet as they reluctantly left the shiny floating jewel alone.

Kiera jumped suddenly after noticing she was walking in one giant puddle, grinning triumphantly as she successfully splashed Sora from head to toe.

His temple throbbed, and he jumped even harder than she had, splashing her. She giggled and jumped again, missing him and getting Donald instead. "Oh, c'mon you two, GROW UP!" Donald quacked angrily, ruffling his feathers.

Sora and Kiera exchanged a mischievous grin and mouthed "One...two...THREE!" before jumping as hard as possible, soaking the duck.

He let out a series of quacks that sounded suspiciously like cuss words, making the two teens laugh uncontrollably.

Aladdin shook his head with a grin and inspected the statue, walking over to the jewel a few moments later.

Kiera's laughter slowed, leaning against Sora as she grabbed her stomach. "H-Hey, how come YOU can bother the shiny floating jewel, huh?"

"Because we need it," Aladdin said matter-of-factly as Abu plucked it out of the air. Almost immediately, the ground shook, and Kiera groaned as statues came out of the walls.

"Those do NOT look friendly," she whined, shifting from one foot to the other to try and alleviate the soreness in her thighs. Sora glanced down at his legs as well, but shook his head quickly.

The statues started shooting what looked like ice crystals at Abu, and they ALL groaned before springing into action.

They had to get the jewel to the main fat Buddha-esque statue, and fast. After about five minutes of trying to get over to it while avoiding barricades and giant ice crystals, Kiera finally let out a frustrated yell.

She had faceplanted yet again due to the damn aforementioned barricades. She grabbed Abu and launched him like a football, making everyone watch in amazement.

He skidded across the shallow water that was just barely covering the ground, coming to a halt right in front of the statue. He hopped up and placed the jewel on an indentation; it fit perfectly.

They all looked at Kiera as she panted angrily, looking like the sheer embodiment of a demon. Her eyes were flashing amber, something Sora and the other two hadn't seen in a while.

"...Now how come none of YA'LL thought of that? DAMMIT!"

"Why're you so angry?" Sora wondered. Her temple throbbed. "SIT!"

_**THUD.**_

"Owwwww!"

She ignored him, watching as the statues retreated backwards and the main statue glowed a blinding shade of gold.

After taking the shape of a giant ruby for a split second, it disintegrated, revealing a new chamber.

Kiera stomped after everyone. "Get up," she growled at Sora, who immediately jumped up. "...Women," he muttered under his breath, earning a smack upside the head.

* * *

"...Oh crap. Oh, no way. We're up so high!" Kiera whispered to herself as she quickly got onto the platform with everyone else, not daring to look down.

"Looks like once we activate this, we have 2 minutes to kill all the Heartless," Sora said after a second, pointing at a jewel-shaped floatie thingie.

"Ready everyone?" Everyone but Kiera nodded, while she just got as close to the center of the platform as possible.

Aladdin activated it, and they all sprung into action. Kiera helped as best she could, which wasn't too much since she was terrified she'd fall over the edge.

After all the Heartless on the platform were destroyed, she laughed nervously. "Well, that was easy – HOLY CUPCAKE JESUUUUUUUSSS!" She screeched as the floor glowed all digital-like before disappearing entirely.

Kiera squeezed her eyes shut, screaming bloody murder and assuming the fetal position mid-air.

She wrapped her arms around her head, preparing to fall to her death. And that was when she hit another platform ass-first.

Kiera slowly opened her eyes, trembling. They had landed on another platform. Too shocked to move, it wasn't long until the others defeated all the Heartless on that platform as well.

THAT platform disappeared, and her stomach dropped to her toes. She started screaming again, still in the same position as the last time.

And just like the last time, they landed again. Since it was quite obvious she wouldn't be of much help anyways, Kiera stayed in her position, keeping her eyes welded shut.

Another drop soon followed, and it was much longer than the other two. Kiera was scared that had been the last platform and that they would die, but right as she started to really panic, she hit the ground again.

If that third drop had scared her, it was nothing compared to the fear she felt on the fifth one. That time, the drop really had to have taken at least a minute, and that was plenty of time for her to freak out.

She didn't dare open her eyes, and instead put her fist in her mouth to keep from screaming so much.

Then the others would REALLY think she was a whimp.

Finally, they reached the platform, and after defeating the Heartless on _that_ platform, there _wasn't_ a drop.

After a few seconds of no stomach-lurching, Kiera opened her eyes carefully to see stairs appear, connecting their platform to very dramatic-looking doors under a rectangular gateway.

Breathing heavily, she uncurled her legs and lowered her arms as her stomach shot up to her throat. Luckily, the others were walking ahead, so they didn't see her stuck her head out over the side and throw up.

"God, I feel terrible _now_," Kiera moaned, staggering to her feet.

"Victor of the trial...You possess great strength," Aladdin read off the next floatie jewel-shaped thingie as Kiera caught up to them, standing a little ways away from everyone and summoning some water to get the bad taste out of her mouth.

She gurgled as the grand doors opened, making everyone sweatdrop. "...Well, THAT kinda killed the dramatic effect," Sora commented.

It seemed to annoy him when she didn't shoot back some smartass reply, and he lingered behind as everyone else walked through the doors and the tunnel that aforementioned doors revealed.

"You don't look so good," he said a little worriedly.

Kiera's temple throbbed. "...Thanks."

"No, seriously, you look like you saw a ghost."

Kiera shook her head. "Not a ghost. I'm just...kinda...scared of heights...and yeah." Sora glanced back at the last platform they fought on. "Ohhhh...That explains why you were screaming like that when we dropped the first time."

"How did you NOT scream that first time? That would've scared the crap outta me even if I _wasn't_ scared of heights!"

Sora was about to answer, but then they saw the treasure room. It sure lived up to its name; there were giant mounds of gold and jewels everywhere.

"Whoaaaaaa," they both said in awed tones.

"That's a common phrase around here," Kiera noted absently as she staggered after the others, still a little shaky in the knees.

* * *

They caught up with the others easy enough, everyone's paces having slowed once they saw all the gold.

"There. That one should do it," Aladdin said confidently.

Kiera sweatdropped. "Oh, you must be referring to the sculpture adorned with shiny jewels over there. I'd say that fits the bill."

Donald waddled up to it, obviously in love with what he was seeing. "Oh boy. It's perfect, that guy's gonna like _this_!"

"Sure _looks_ valuable," Sora agreed.

"No kidding," Kiera mumbled, looking around anxiously. Something was bound to go wrong, it was all too perfect.

Plus, she felt like she was being watched.

"Great! Now let's go get that lamp. We gotta keep Jafar bottled up, or he'll destroy Agrabah!" Aladdin said determinedly.

Kiera headed for the exit, ready to just get out of there and take a nap. "Hey, snap out of it, Donald!" Aladdin suddenly shouted.

She turned around and saw Donald standing over some kind of treasure and shaking himself.

Suddenly, everywhere but a circle around where they were all standing grew pitch black, and Kiera groaned. "Not NOW! I effing _knew_ it would happen, too, it always does!"

"Why _does_ this always happen?" Donald wondered bitterly.

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVEN ****MINUTES AND EXACTLY FIFTY HEARTLESS LATER...**_

Kiera summoned two pain reliever pills and a glass of water, downing them all. "I just can't catch a _break_," she moaned miserably as her head continued pounding.

"Let's go!" Sora said cheerfully, making her want to strangle him with her bare hands. "That lamp dealer BETTER still be there when we get there..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"HELLLOOOO?" Sora called out. Everyone had inched as far away from Kiera as possible, sensing a demonic aura starting to form.

Yep, it was DEFINITELY close to her time of the month.

"C'mon, quit yer whinin' and hand it over!" A muffled voice bellowed.

"Ohhh no! I'm trading it for treasure. This lamp is going to bring me riches!"

They went out through the back door to see Midget Man being chased around by Pete. "Ohhh no ya don't!" Pete bellowed.

Everyone sighed heavily, then looked at Kiera as her eye twitched menacingly. She clenched her fists and stomped after him, and everyone reluctantly followed.

"PEEEEEEEETE!" She screeched, leaving the others to battle the Heartless in her wake so she wouldn't get even angrier.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Lamp hog!" Pete shouted, chasing after Midget Man in a courtyard. Sora and the others watched on with sweatdrops as Kiera stomped after them, growling ominously.

"GOTCHYA! I WIN!" He shouted after cornering the Midget Man, holding him back by putting a meaty palm against his turban.

He didn't see Kiera stomping up to him until she was right in front of him. By this time, she was so pissed off that rage was practically coming off her in waves.

"I suggest you hand that lamp over to me," she said in a deadly tone.

"Huh?" Pete wondered, looking around before finally looking down at her. "Hey, it's the redhead!"

She glared up at him. "Hand. It. Over. NOW."

He laughed. "I don't _think_ so, Short Stuff!" The others winced from where they were standing, shaking their heads. "He's as good as dead," Sora said sympathetically.

Kiera's eyes flashed angrily. "Are you implying...I...am SHORT?" She screeched. Sora swore she made her own wind when she said that, and really hoped it was just his imagination.

Pete, totally oblivious, simply laughed harder. "Hahahaha! Indeed I am, Small Fry! Whatchya gonna do about it, _holler_ at me some more?"

Sora shook his head. "Great, he's gonna make her blind rage kick in."

"Blind rage?" Aladdin asked.

Before anyone could answer, a truly horrifying beatdown took place. How horrifying, you ask? Well...some details are better left unknown.

Let's just say that by the end of it, Pete had two black eyes and lots of scrapes, and a bite mark on his ear.

He ran off whimpering like a dog, and the lamp was in Kiera's hand as she continued to breathe heavily and angrily.

She turned to look at her friends, her eyes slowly going back to their normal dark shade of brown.

Sora looked at Aladdin, whose jaw was on the floor. Donald and Goofy looked absolutely horrified. "...THAT'S blind rage."

"I think I'm gonna have nightmares. _Me_, Jafar's former parrot," Iago squaked in an awed tone.

Kiera looked around in confusion. "What the hell just happened? When'd we leave the store?" Sora shook his head in amazement. "Kiera, I'm about to say something you'll probably only hear me say once, so pay close attention. ...You're awesome."

* * *

She beamed. "I know, right! But seriously, where are we?"

Sora was about to reply, but then Goofy pointed behind her. "Look out!" Kiera turned around...JUST in time to get an orange to the head.

"What the FU-" She got hit with another orange, and saw spots. She forgot what she was going to say, and blinked instead. "Uuuuunnnhhhh..."

"Take THAT!" Pete shouted triumphantly, waving another orange around threateningly. She giggled dazedly. "But...I don't _wanna_ go to work today...!" And with that random statement, she keeled over.

"Ummm...Kiera?"

She was out like a light. Sora's temple throbbed. Great, there was already a bump forming on her forehead; she'd be complaining about THAT for a while.

"Nice try, Small Fry!" Pete sneered, standing over her. "Just wait 'till Jafar's free. He's gonna make one beauty of a Heartless!"

He bent down to peer closer at her and laughed, reaching a meaty finger out to poke her. "Oh, would you look at that _bump_. It just might be bigger than the hole in my _ear_, you little –"

"Keep your paws off her!" Sora shouted, him, Goofy, and Donald running towards Pete. Before they could get very far, the ground shook, and Genie loop-de-looped into their view.

"I'm HOOOO-OOOOME!" He announced in a sing-song voice. "Al, it's been EONS! Al, you princely little muffin you! Cosmic travel can get so _lonely_ without a friend. And to think I left you forlorn and Genie-less...Oh, the HUMANITY!" He exclaimed, sobbing dramatically.

Of course, the whole time, he had been addressing _Pete_ as Aladdin. Genie inflated himself, using his stomach as a drum. "Hey Al, you been puttin' on some weight?" He asked Pete.

"Uhh...Genie?" Aladdin prompted from behind him. Apparently he didn't hear him.

"Aw, of course, what am I saying? You're living at the Palace now!" Another Genie poofed onto the scene.

"Aladdin!" It crooned in a girly voice.

"Jasmine!" Genie exclaimed. The two Genies embraced, and a firework exploded behind them, forming a heart.

"I can just picture it...Wait, tell me. Am I being a pest? A big blue pest? Oh, who CARES? I'm just so glad to SEE YOU!" He cried out happily, grabbing Pete's hands and jumping up and down.

Poor Pete looked like he was going to throw up. Which reminded Sora of Kiera, and he dragged her over by a wall before someone stepped on her.

"Man, if only you were conscious. You'd love THIS," Sora commented as if she could hear him.

"Gee-nieeee," Aladdin said in a mock scornful tone, making him stop and exchange looks between Aladdin and Pete.

Genie pushed Pete away from him and went to hug Aladdin, and Pete shaked his fist at him. "I'll show YOU, trying to make a fool outta me! Time for Plan B! I'm finishin' you mugs off _right now_!"

Little explosions started going off everywhere, right around the time Kiera started stirring. Sora glanced down at her as she stretched, her hand running along one of his shoes groggily.

"Why do I smell oranges?" She wondered, sniffing some stray hair in her face.

Sora sweatdropped as she grabbed her hair and rolled around, sniffing it. "Ahhh...smells goood..."

He crouched down to her level, and she eyed him suspiciously as she sat up, drawing her legs up so her knees touched her chest. "No. MY orange odor!"

He sweatdropped again, and patted her knee. "...I have a feeling you should stay _riiiight _here." Kiera gave him a mock salute. "AYE-AYE!" She shouted before resuming her hair-sniffing.

Sora shook his head slowly before helping the others battle the two giant creatures that had showed up, Figarun and Blizzagun, who excelled in fire and water magic.

Fun.

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"_You_! You've messed with me for the last time! I'll get you yet! You and that damn Small Fry of yours!" Pete threatened before hobbling off.

Kiera made a "Pfffft!" noise from the corner, rocking back and forth as she giggled. "SOMEONE ain't a happy camper! Hehehehe!"

Sora sweatdropped. "Uhh...I think those oranges hit her a bit _too_ hard..." Genie made a drawn-out gasp noise and bent over Kiera. "Who...is THIIIIIISS?" He asked in a rather girly voice.

Kiera looked up at him, blinking before beaming. "IT'S GENIE! AAAHHH! SQUEE!"

"Squee?" Everyone wondered. Aladdin shook his head slowly. "I wouldn't let her go to sleep if I were you. Looks like she's got a concussion."

Sora groaned. "Great, just GREAT! You're kidding me, right? Do you realize how SCARY she is when she's sleep-deprived?"

Genie grabbed her hands, engulfing them in his own, and raised her up to look at her all-around.

"Scary? HER? Oh, never! She's _adorable_!"

"Adorable?" Aladdin and Sora repeated with sweatdrops. Donald shook his head slowly. "This is way too odd for me. Can we hurry up and take care of Jafar?"

The others nodded as Genie continued to inspect Kiera. "Good idea."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FORTY-FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

They closed the lid to the stone box solemnly, ensuring that Jafar never escaped. Genie was still fascinated with Kiera, who was giggling every five minutes.

At least, she _had_ been. Now she was depressed, reclining on a therapist couch high off the ground while Genie sat in an arm chair with a pad and pencil, listening intently.

"...And I never get to go ANYWHERE, or do ANYTHING, without...fricking...SORA! It's not _faaaair_! I like being _alooooone_! I learned to _liiiike_ being alone, what with mom being the way she was after the accident...AAAARRRGGGHHH!" Kiera exclaimed, distraught.

Sora and the others were down below them, looking absolutely miserable after having to listen to her sob about her problems for more than a half-hour.

"This...is...TORTURE!" Iago screeched. "I think I might rather be in that blasted lamp than hear this crap!"

Sora nodded in agreement, and Genie pointed his feather pen at him. "I wouldn't complain, if I were you. Torturing poor Kiera like that...You should be ASHAMED!" He scolded, handing Kiera a Kleenex.

Aladdin and Donald exchanged an eye-roll as they finally reached the Palace. Jasmine was outside, took one look at the emotional wreck in the floating therapist couch, and hurriedly opened the door. "Ummm...I think I have some tea for that..."

"For a concussion?" Sora asked hopefully.

Jasmine shook her head. "Well, no, but we should have some medicine for that!" She said cheerfully.

Everyone sighed with relief, and Kiera poked her head out from above the couch. "What's so – ohhhhh my CRAP, this is high!" She shrieked, hiding back behind the couch and hugging it for dear life.

Sora looked at Genie. "She's got a thing about heights," he said with a nervous laugh.

Genie shrugged and flicked a hand at the couch, making it drop. "IS THIS ANOTHER OF THOSE DAMN HEARTLESS PLATFORMS?" Kiera shouted at the top of her lungs, eyes squeezed shut.

Genie flitted over to Sora, nudging him. "This is the part where you go over there and heroically comfort your woman."

"SHE'S NOT MY WOMAN!"

"Sora, you have a woman? _You_?" Kiera asked in disbelief. And then she started tearing up. "WHAAAAAT? YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU HAD A _GIRLFRIEND_! I THOUGHT WE HAD A _CONNECTION_, ISN'T THAT WHAT MERLIN SAID? YOU'VE GOTTA _TELL ME_ THESE THINGS!"

She sighed woefully. "It's that Kairi girl, ISN'T IT? HOW COME YOU NEVER TALK TO ME ABOUT _ANYTHING_? HUUUUUH? I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT _MY_ MESSED UP LIFE, DIDN'T I? AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME ABOUT A FLIPPING _GIIIIIIRRRRL_?" She wailed at the sky.

Genie was quite obviously trying to hide his snickering, while Sora's temple throbbed. "Geeenniiiiieeee...!"

"It's not _my_ fault she heard the wrong end of the conversation!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**AN ****HOUR LATER...**_

After getting Kiera to take the meds and some tea (which took quite a while since she hated liquid medicine and had never had unsweetened tea before), they were finally ready to go.

"I _promise _– you won't regret givin' me a second chance. Honest!" Iago assured Jasmine as they stood outside the Palace.

"Uhhh, Princess Jasmine...? You sure you want that pigeon in the coop?" Genie asked.

Jasmine nodded. "Oh, I think he's proven he means well."

"Aw, sure, you're probably right."

"And how much trouble could one noisy bird cause?" Sora added. Kiera eyed him suspiciously from where she was standing, clutching an icepack she had summoned against her poor aching head.

"Why'd you look at _me _when you said that?" She asked, eyes narrowed, temple throbbing.

Sora sweatdropped. "...Uhhh..."

"You just might have a point there, kid," Genie replied to Sora's earlier statement, hoping to save everyone from having to hear them get in another idiotic argument.

Jasmine looked at Sora questioningly, interrupting him and Kiera as they tried to glare each other down. "What happens next, Sora?"

"Well, it was great seeing you all...but we still need to find Riku and the King. I guess we'll be moving on."

"I hope you find 'em," Genie offered.

Sora nodded. "Me too." Kiera nodded, too. "And me, for what it's worth." She still had yet to figure out who this King was, much less this random Riku guy. Sora had explained them in his "story," but she was still so confused.

She learned through seeing, not being told.

"Hey, where's Aladdin?" Donald asked, looking around.

"He went off into town to find Abu. But...he should be back by now," Jasmine said thoughtfully.

"Al can't miss Sora's big going away party! I'll have him back in a jiffy!" Genie exclaimed. Kiera perked up. "Paaaartyyy, you say?"

* * *

Sora sweatdropped as Genie simply grinned before vanishing with a _**POOF**_ of red smoke. "Great, she's all happy again." She stomped on his foot. "Since when is that a bad thing, HUH?"

They both ended up groaning and doubling over, Sora grabbing his foot and her grabbing her head. "Reeeaaallly didn't think that through, did ya, Kiera?"

"Noooo..."

Everyone shook their heads, and Jasmine smiled. "It was wonderful meeting you, Kiera." "Likewise," Kiera managed to get out between groans.

Her head was pounding like it had been hit with seven tons of bricks.

"Abu! Catch him!" Aladdin cried out suddenly.

Abu ran right up to Kiera, giant jewel that Donald had been fixated with earlier in his paws, and she gulped as all three MORONS she traveled with lunged for Abu.

Guess who ended up getting dogpiled. Yep.

"YOU BRATS, GET OFF ME!" She shouted from underneath Sora's arm and Goofy's hat, gasping for air.

"He must've secretly stolen it from the Cave of Wonders," Aladdin explained as everyone got off of poor Kiera.

Goofy helped her up, and she smiled up at him appreciatively before dusting off his hat and handing it to him. "Here ya go."

"Abu!" Donald scolded, snatching the precious ruby away from him. "Ahhhh," he crooned, staring at the jewel.

Kiera sweatdropped. "Next thing you know, he'll be stroking it and calling it 'My preeeeciouuuusss!'" Sora sweatdropped as she made a creepy hissing noise on her "s" in "precious".

"...Demonic."

"Sit."

_**THUD.**_

"Aw, c'mon, _really_?"

"Really."

"I guess some things are just too hard to resist," Goofy commented as Donald shook himself again. Kiera smirked, looking down at the sprawled-out moron under her control. "I'll say. Your misery is my best friend!"

"Aw, who needs it!" Donald quacked, throwing the jewel at the ground. Abu tried to pry it off the ground, but it wouldn't budge.

"Oh, I guess it got stuck! Whaaa-" Just like that, the jewel him and Abu loved so much turned out to be the next lock to get to the next pathway.

And then they were back on the ship.

* * *

Sora looked at Kiera.

Kiera looked at Sora.

"You know...you can't go to sleep for a while. You've still got a concussion and all," he pointed out in a sneaky tone.

Kiera smiled slowly, catching on rather quickly. "Mmhmm...that's quite right..." Goofy and Donald sweatdropped as Sora grabbed her arm and they ran for the room they had found the two teens in earlier.

"NIGHT, GUYS!"

Goofy looked at Donald.

Donald looked at Goofy.

"...Do we really want to know what they're gonna do?" Goofy pondered thoughtfully as they heard giggling and lots of clattering.

Donald shuddered. "Probably not..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS ****LATER...**_

"O...Okay...Can't...dance...anymore...oh holy CRAP, I'm exhausted," Kiera panted, falling on her ass.

"Owwww," she groaned as her head started throbbing menacingly all over again. Sora sighed in relief. "Oh, good. I couldn't go much longer."

She smirked. "What, were you only doing it this long so I wouldn't look _stronger _than you?"

He looked around anxiously before plopping down, putting his hands behind his head. "Maaaaybee..."

Kiera yawned rather loudly, and he shook his head. "Nope, you can't go to sleep. Jasmine said."

"Jasmine ain't a doctor," she grumbled. A sure sign of her tiredness: her accent kicking in. Next would be the nonstop giggling, and then the rambling, and...if she lasted long enough...exponentially increased violent tendencies.

Poor Sora.

"She's more of an expert in the medical field than you are," he pointed out.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"...And what's with the fruit 'orange' anyways? Huh? I mean, how come the OTHER fruits don't get named after their colors? That hardly seems fair. That's...that's...prejudiced against all the other fruits out there! I bet the orange is a slacker. A total...SLACKER!"

Sora sweatdropped. "...You're REALLY tired, aren't you."

"Ye-e-e-eeesss," she whined, plopping her head into his lap. "Kiera, what the hell're you –"

"Lemme sleep! Please! I _beg _of you! I'm sooo...soo..._tiiireeed_! You heard my giggling fit earlier! I started crying, I couldn't stop! And now I'm rambling...do you REALLY wanna see my violent streak kick in next?" She threatened, looking up at him.

Sora stared at her for a second, then made a face. "I...guess not. Oh, what the hell, it's almost morning anyways. Sure, go ahead."

"YAY!" She cheered before closing her eyes and turning on her side.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Hey. Sora."

"Huh?"

"Can you do me a _really _odd favor?"

"...Maybe..."

"Can you play with my hair?"

"...Well, I – wait, _what_?" He asked in disbelief. Kiera opened her eyes again, turning to peer up at him. "Please?"

"Wait, wait, wait, WAIT. Lemme get this straight. You're laying in my lap, you want me to play with your hair..." He felt the sides of her face. "Are you deathly ill?"

Her temple throbbed, and she turned back over with a huff. "Never MIND, then."

"...My dad used to do that. When I couldn't sleep. He'd play with my hair. ...Just forget I asked. I dunno why I asked, anyways."

Sora didn't answer.

After a few moments, in her tired state, she moved on. "You know what I really miss?"

"What?"

"...Cake."

* * *

"Can't you summon some cake?"

"No, I mean...CAKE. Like...going to Wal-Mart, and just saying 'I want some CAKE!'...or having someone make you a cake. Or just making one yourself. Which...I'm not allowed to do since I thought regular salt could be substituted by the rock salt they use for ice cream, and..."

She shuddered at the thought. "That was possibly the worst cake ever made. In history. Even when they didn't know how to make it yet and they were still ex..." She trailed off as she felt his fingers running through her hair.

"...Ex what?" He asked, tugging gently on the ends and doing some other things that felt unbelievably nice.

"Ummm...I think I forgot...wait, no, I've got this...I'VE GOT THIS...Oh! Right. When they didn't know how to make cake yet and they were still _experimenting_. Yeah. Experimenting."

"Experimenting," he repeated as if he liked the ring to it.

"Hey Sora."

"Yeah."

"When's the last time you...had cake?" She asked, cutting off in the middle of her statement with a loud yawn.

"Huh...I dunno..._years_. I remember having one for Kairi's birthday...and then...I'm not really sure...Hey Kiera."

"Hmm?"

"Is it normal sometimes to...feel like...you're forgetting something?"

Kiera shifted, draping her arm over his legs lazily. "To me it is. I forget my socks _all _the time."

"No, not like that. Like...a memory. Or a dream. Or...hey, have you ever not been able to tell if something was a memory or a dream?"

"All the time..."

"Oh, good, it's not just me," he said with a sigh of relief.

Kiera yawned again. "I wouldn't get too happy. I'm not exactly a good representation of 'normal'."

"...Ehhh, you're good enough for me."

* * *

"Oh _reeeaaallly _now, Soraa?"

"N-Not like that! I meant...you know what? Nevermind, we probably won't even remember half of this in a few hours."

"I know _I _probably won't." That was a bit of a lie. If she remembered _anything_, she'd remember how good his fingers felt in her hair.

"Hey."

"What?"

"I could summon you a cake, if you want."

"Maybe later. ...With milk. And lots of icing."

"Okay," she agreed with a yawn. "I wonder if wedding cakes are any good..." she said thoughtfully.

"Well...why _wouldn't _they be?"

"I dunno. But they just seem so..._different _from other cakes. You know? And cakes are yummy. So what if wedding cakes aren't all that great?"

"Well, what if they're _better_?"

"...That's true. Wow, Sora, you're _reeaallyyy _smart."

"Holy...CRAP, you're really tired."

"Exponentially," she agreed, yawning again.

"Hey. Sora."

"Yeah."

"About that memory stuff."

"Uh-huh."

"You wanna know something weird?"

"Why not."

"I used to feel like I was forgetting things, too. But...not so much anymore. I guess...something about...being around you...makes things stand out clearer."

It was silent for a second before he finally said something.

* * *

"...You know, now that I think about it...things _are _getting easier. When I first woke up, after that whole year passed, I...felt like...I don't even really know how to explain it. I felt kinda like everything that happened before I woke up was all...fuzzy. But...like you said, sorta, the more I'm around you...the clearer things get. Do you think maybe that's 'cause of the connection thing? Because, even though I really, really, _really _hate to admit it...I can feel it. The connection thing. You've got this sort of..._pull_. Kind of like a current, where fighting it never leads to anything good. So you just kinda _roll _with it. And the more I _roll _with you, the better I get. Stronger, faster...awesomer..." he cut off with a laugh before yawning.

"...And makes me a little happier, maybe? ...I think I'm tired too, I'm rambling so bad right now...! ...Kiera?"

No answer.

"...Wait...WAIT...Don't tell me you slept through that WHOLE EPIC SPEECH!"

Kiera swatted the air, turning further away from him and burying the side of her head in his leg. "Nooo, stop it, I don't wanna go get beer! I just got home! Moooom!" She whined, wrapping her arm tightly around his leg like it was a pillow.

Sora sweatdropped, sighed, and leaned his head back against the wall, hand still in her hair.

"...Damn Gatekeepers."


	22. Ask Me About My Driving

**Back! Sorry for taking so long, it's been one hell of a couple weeks. My grandmomma was in the ICU with pneumonia in one lung and blood clots in both lungs all last week and most of this week. She was just released Thursday, but she's still got clots, and she'll be on blood thinners for at least another 6 months. I kinda wish she was still in the hospital, mainly so if she throws a clot or something, someone can be there real quick that knows what to do.**

**But hopefully, they sent her home because they're positive that won't happen. Them having fancy doctor degrees and all...**

**And as if that weren't enough to keep me busy, I battled a virus. Both in my computer AND in my body.**

**Obviously, the computer virus was vanquished. The body one? Not so much. Wow, i even actually sniffled and coughed right after i typed that! Haha! But anyway. So yeah. Hellish couple weeks. **

**But at least now i can update, right? RIGHT! Read, review, enjoy! :)**

_

* * *

_

_She was on a beach. Kiera hadn't been to the beach in so long, it had to have been since at least a year before dad disappeared._

_She refused to say he died. There was no proof he had, so why should she make herself believe something that could very well not be true?_

_Exactly._

_Kiera still wanted cake; cake was the only thing that could make this any better. But, as she already made clear to Sora, summoning herself some just wasn't the same._

_Duh. Sora was such an amateur, not knowing the difference._

_Then again, maybe he had just forgotten. He **had** said the last time he had cake that he could clearly remember was for Kairi's birthday, hadn't he?_

_Kiera's eyes narrowed at the mention of her name. "Everything seems to be linked to you," she murmured to herself, barely audible over the ebbing of the waves._

"_All of it. His memories...his pain. Kinda unfair, if you ask me. But hey, what do I know? I've never been crazy over someone before."_

_Seeing the effects it had on Sora, Kiera sure as hell was glad she **hadn't** been crazy over someone._

_She shook her head and plopped ass-first into the sand, wriggling her toes in it happily. "Forget Sora, and Kairi, and cake. Right now, this is about Kiera Sage and the beach." She nodded to herself before laying in the sand, trying to get as much on her as possible, to remember how awesome it felt._

_She loved the beach._

_So of course it was then she noticed the girl standing to her far right, out of earshot._

_

* * *

_

_She was...wow. Her hair was sleek and straight, a dark pink color, a little past her shoulders. She was wearing a pink dress that was rather short and looked kind of leathery, with cool zippers and even cooler shoes._

_And her eyes were this beautiful blue. For a split second, Kiera wondered if she was Sora's sister or something, but decided her eyes weren't as Sora-y as...well, Sora's._

"_Maybe...waiting isn't good enough," she said to herself. _

"_Waiting for what?" Kiera wondered, beyond curious as to who the hell this girl was._

"_My thoughts exactly! If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"_

_Whoever the girl was, she wasn't good with listening. She looked for the voice in every direction except the one the man was standing in._

_Kiera sweatdropped. "Jeez, and Sora says I'M dense." The dude had bright red spiky hair, and was wearing a cloak like Demyx's._

_She groaned and stood, hoping the sand would stay on her body. "Great, an Organization member. Just what I fricking needed."_

"_Who are you?" The girl asked._

"_Axel. I happen to be an acquaintance of Sora's. Why don't we go see him?" Axel held out his hand, and Kiera sighed. "Stranger with candy. Wait, how does she know Sora? Is she...Is THAT Kairi?"_

"_Sora?" The Possible-Kairi asked slowly. Jeez, what, was she dropped on the head or something? Even in the face of danger, Kiera caught on quicker than THAT._

_Just then, Pluto started barking, running around Kiera and licking her legs before bounding to Possible-Kairi. Kiera huffed and folded her arms across her middle. "Fine. I see how it is. No one likes the redheads, they always go after the pink ones! Stupid Sakura is a true testament to that! Although...are there any redheads in Naruto or Naruto: Shippuden? Tch, I bet if he met a redhead like ME, he'd forget Sakura Haruno in a heartbeat. Mmhmm."_

_While Kiera had been rambling to herself, Nobodies had shown up and circled Possible-Kairi, but a portal opened behind Kiera. Possible-Kairi and Pluto eyed it eagerly._

"_We've got something in common, Kairi. You and I both miss someone we care about. Hey...I feel like we're friends already!" Axel said cheerfully as she ran away._

_Kiera's temple throbbed as Kairi totally ignored her, nearly knocking her down. "...Oh. So THAT'S Kairi. Save-her-own-ass Kairi. Glad to meet ya."_

"_You're not acting very friendly!" Kairi shouted over her shoulder at Axel before disappearing into the portal._

_Kiera's temple throbbed again. "Speak for yourself, woman! Jeez."_

_Axel chuckled. "Good, a chase. I need that. ...Oh, and Kiera, lighten up will ya? She can't see you. This is just a little vision of yours."_

"_Then how come YOU can see me?" She asked skeptically._

_He grinned. "Why wouldn't I? I've been looking at you for three years now." He waved at her before walking through a different portal. "I'll be seeing you soon."_

_

* * *

_

_Kiera shrugged off the shivers he had sent up and down her spine before running after Kairi and Pluto, leaping through the portal right before it sealed up._

"_Hey, what is this place?" Kairi asked no one in particular. It was a light royal blue, and had what looked like flower patterns constantly running down the edges of it._

_Kiera shrugged, even though she knew Kairi couldn't see her if her life depended on it. "Beats me, but it sure is swanky."_

_Suddenly, a pinkish portal-doorway shaped like a...tulip...appeared, and they ran through it...to fall flat on their asses._

_Well, in Kiera's case, anyways. Kairi landed daintily on her stomach, somehow making it look graceful._

_Kiera's temple throbbed. "Jeez, she might as well be an anime character: the ideal female."_

"_You okay?" Someone asked, making her look up from her Inner-Seethe-Moment. Those three friends Sora had said bye to when she first met him were all either sitting on or standing near a couch, gaping at them._

"_You and that dog came flying through a hole in the wall. Nearly gave us heart attacks!"_

_Kiera nodded, rubbing her butt. "Yeah, I can relate." She huffed when no one answered her. "YEAH, I'M FINE, THANKS FOR ASKING!" She shouted._

_...No replies. Not a single one. Except for Pluto, whose ears twitched._

_Kiera sniffled dramatically. "...Always the pink-haired ones. Us poor redheads, so neglected..." Pluto suddenly bounded over to her, sniffing her before licking her to death, all over her face and arms._

_Everyone watched in confusion as Kiera laughed. "...Dude...why's your dog licking the air like that?" The blonde one asked slowly._

_The girl of the group, besides Kairi, shivered a little. "It's almost as if...someone were there..." The Mexican-looking one waved her off. "Jeez, Olette, superstitious much?"_

"_I'm just saying that's what it **looks** like!" She said defensively. Kiera suddenly got a thought, and channeled all her rage at her misadventures thus far onto Kairi._

_After about three seconds, she flinched. "Jeez, I feel like someone's staring daggers at me!" She whispered to herself, rubbing her goosebump-covered arms._

_Kiera laughed gleefully. "Hehehehe, someone IS! ME!"_

"_Now, now. C'mon, Kat, let's not be jealous." _

_She paled rather drastically, her pulse pounding in her head. Pluto sniffed the air before nuzzling her arm._

"_...D-Dad?"_

_

* * *

_

_He was the only person that called her Kat. Ever. And that was unmistakably his voice. Kiera didn't turn her head, and unfortunately, she didn't need to; he walked to stand in front of her._

_He made a tsk-tsk-tsk noise at her, shaking his head. All she could focus on was his face, amazed. She felt lightheaded, and she was pretty sure she was swaying where she sat._

"_You weren't supposed to develop feelings for that kid, Kat, you were supposed to help get rid of him. You always were such a hardhead...!"_

"_...W...What? Dad? It's...It's really you?"_

_She felt dark energy in the air, followed by two Nobodies. A cloaked Organization member appeared, placing a hand on her shoulder._

_His touch made her skin burn, and she screamed, trying to wriggle free. Pluto started barking like crazy, and everyone looked in their direction._

"_Is that...smoke?" Someone wondered before she blacked out._

"_**It's not too late...Just do this one thing for me, hon. Do it, Kat. Get rid of Sora..."**_

"STOP!" Kiera screamed, lurching into an upright position, panting heavily. She was drenched in sweat, trembling.

* * *

Sora jumped awake. "Dammit, you scared the hell outta me! ...Kiera?" She shook her head quickly, holding up a finger while trying to catch her breath.

"I...I saw...my shoulder...I...Nobodies...cake..." Sora sweatdropped, trying to decipher that sentence.

Suddenly, the pain in her shoulder came back, and she cried out again, gripping it. "What the hell's going on?" Sora wondered in a slightly-panicky tone, not sure what to do.

"Shoulder! Burns!" She hissed between gasps, shrugging off her shirt sleeve and summoning a bucket of water. "Put it out!" She screamed as the pain increased.

"Put what out?" He screamed right back.

"The fire, moron! Sora, put it out!"

"There IS no fire!"

"My shoulder!"

With a frustrated yell, she drenched her own shoulder, calming down with shuddery breaths as the pain lessened little by little.

"...Whoa...What the hell?" Sora wondered, putting his hand very deliberately on her shoulder. Kiera winced. "Yeah, 'cause _that's_ gonna make it feel better."

"You've got a...burn. In the shape of a hand. One bigger than mine."

Kiera winced again, sighing. "It must've been from where he touched me..."

"Who touched you?" he asked in a tone that made her smirk up at him. "Wow, Sora, you sounded so protective just then!"

"Don't get used to it," he replied with a temple throb, making _her_ temple throb. "...Anyway. It was some Organization member. He had the hood over his face, so I couldn't see. But when he touched me, I felt this huge burning sensation, and then one of your friends said they smelled smoke, which...they couldn't see me, so...that was a bit of a drawback."

"Friends? Riku and Kairi?" Sora asked hopefully. Kiera jumped up, not bothering to fix her shirt. "Oh, that's right! Kairi, she's in Twilight Town!"

"What? That's impossible, Twilight Town was wiped off the map!" Sora shouted after her as she ran out of the room to find everyone else.

"Donald, Goofy! Set course for Twilight Town!" Kiera shouted.

"Did you not hear a word I said?" Sora asked as Donald looked at her strange. "First of all, Twilight Town's disappeared off the map. And secondly...what in the world happened to your shirt?"

The two Disney characters immediately looked at Sora, who scoffed. "Yeah right. She wishes."

"DO NOT! But that's besides the point. We have to go to Twilight Town, and fast!"

"Kiera Reilly Sage, do you not understand English? It's. Not. On. The. MAP!" Donald said impatiently.

"I don't care," she snapped. "Kairi's waiting for us! And who knows when Axel could come back for her? They can travel pretty much anywhere the hell they please, can't they? The Organization? He'll try to get her again!"

"Wait, the Organization's after Kairi?" Sora asked.

"Where the hell are you getting all this?" Donald asked.

Kiera just made a rather loud and unladylike noise of impatience, stomping over to the wheel and pushing Donald's wheely chair out of the way. He crashed into Goofy, who stumbled and crashed into Sora, who ended up at the bottom of the dogpile.

"Dammit Kiera!"

"Shut up while I take you to find your_ beloved Kairi_!" she shouted at him, steering hard to the right impatiently. She could still feel the grains of sand on her, and a couple fell from her arms to roll around on the ground.

She pointed angrily at the little blip on the map indicating Twilight Town, now no longer hidden from their radar.

"...Uh-huh. Gone from the map my ASS! Trust me once in a while! Dammit, ya'll!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**THIRTY ****MINUTES AND LOTS OF SCREAMING LATER...**_

"See, I told you we'd make it here safely. But did ya'll believe me? _Nope_."

The other three just continued groaning and twitching slightly from their positions on the floor, all sprawled out.

Sora's head was in the trash can, and Kiera made a face before summoning some Febreeze. "That's just grody, Sora. How can you be the Keyblade wielder if you can't handle a little turbulence?"

He glared at her from the rim of the smelly trashcan. "By 'a little turbulence,' I think you mean 'near-death experience'. Besides, _who_ was it that threw up after just falling off some platforms? _Who_ was that again? Oh, right. KIERA."

She glared right back at him as they all got off the Gummi Ship, which she had "found a close parking spot for" (here meaning "crash landed"). "You weren't supposed to see that. Besides, you _know_ that heights are one of my major fears, so lay off!"

"Well, death by crazy drivers of the ship are one of _my_ major fears, so NEH."

"Neh is MY word, Sora. And for your information, I've been driving for years, thanks very much!"

"You wouldn't be able to tell!"

"GUUUUUYYYSSS!" Goofy and Donald shouted, making them jump and blink innocently. "...Please, can we just keep walking? Didn't you say Kairi was here, Kiera?"

The two exchanged a look before running ahead of Donald and Goofy.

"H-Help! The sandlot, it's Seifer! Somebody please help us!" A little midget of a man squealed, making Kiera sweatdrop. "That...is by far the creepiest thing I've ever seen."

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Sounds like we've got trouble!"

"Thanks a heap, Captain Obvious," Kiera grumbled.

"Any time, Lieutenant Sarcasm," he shot back smugly.

She shut her mouth dramatically, and the other two chuckled. "That was pretty good, Sora!'

Sora sweatdropped. "Well gee, don't sound so surprised, you guys..."

* * *

They arrived at the sandlot to find some blonde guy (besides the one Sora seemed to be friends with) collapsed on the ground, surrounded by Heartless.

"We'll take it from here!" Sora said, resuming his battle stance. Kiera rolled her eyes. "I love how you just come onto the scene and immediately go 'Relax, guys, I got this!'"

"Well, I do. 'Cause I'm awesome."

"More like your GATEKEEPER is awesome!" she replied, summoning a giant bowling ball and getting a strike, with a huge handful of Heartless as bowling pins.

Sora smirked as he cut down a few Heartless of his own "Oh, so you're _mine_ now?"

Her temple throbbed at her own mistake, and she replied by flipping off the side of the building and taking out three Heartless that were behind him.

_His_ temple throbbed this time. "...Showoff." She smiled innocently, rearing her fist sideways to knock out a Heartless to her left. "I learned from the best."

* * *

**_FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER..._**

"Impressive," a voice suddenly said as they continued to pant. Kiera turned to see an Organization member clapping for them, and her shoulder started burning in response. More like a dull, throbbing pain.

One she could ignore for the time being, thankfully.

"By the way, have you seen a man named Axel? I expect he's here somewhere."

"Like I care," was Sora's extremely well thought-out reply, making Kiera sigh and roll her eyes. He chuckled at them. "Ah, so I see you find him just as much of an annoying brat, Ms. Sage."

Kiera glared at him. "Those are some fancy manners for a good-for-nothin' Nobody." She was the only one that could call Sora an annoying brat.

"That's one fancy double negative for a Memphian," he replied smoothly. She tensed up. "How do you know where I'm from?"

"And just like most Southern girls, I've come to find you quite naïve. A shame, really. Your mother sure wasn't your typical Southern woman; _s__he_ sure as hell knew what was coming for your family. Figured it out not long before you were born, actually. Not that Grace could do much. Love does that to those with hearts."

"Care to repeat that?" She shouted, lunging forward to attack him. Sora held her back, and she glared at him. "Save it," he said simply, but he was looking at the cloaked Nobody with as much confusion and slight fear as she was.

The Organization member let out a whistle. "Wow. I must admit, that connection of yours is pretty impressive. Almost as impressive as your swordsmanship, Sora; being able to hold back that spitfire over there before she does something incredibly _stupid_."

"No one _controls_ me, asshole," she growled. Sora's grip on her non-burnt shoulder tightened as if to tell her to shut up, which made her narrow her eyes, but she shut up anyway.

"Well, your immaturity is rather amusing, but on to business. _Have_ you seen a fellow named Axel around here? You see, he's no longer acting in our best interest."

"Is he part of the Organization too?" Donald asked.

"Yes."

"You havin' a fight?" Donald inquired.

"Not a very _organized_ Organization..." Sora commented. Kiera wanted to scream at them to stop acting so casual around these people when Kairi could be kidnapped at any second, and wanted to demand to know how they knew so much about her and her family, but she just kept her mouth firmly shut, pressed into a straight line.

"Don't let your guard down. Axel will stop at nothing to turn you into a Heartless," the member warned, pointing at Sora.

"Gee, thanks for looking out for us, mister. But I'm sure we can handle ourselves just fine."

"Glad to hear it. Axel aside, it would break our hearts to hear something happened to either of you," he replied, totally ignoring the dripping sarcasm Sora had used.

"Hearts? You don't _have_ any hearts!"

"True, we don't have hearts..." He trailed off as he removed his hood, revealing bluish-gray hair and two scars that ran down his nose, crossing at the bridge of it. "...But we remember what it was like. That's what makes us special."

"Whaddaya mean?" Goofy asked.

"We know very well how to injure a heart." He cocked his head as a portal appeared behind him, smiling in a way that told them it wasn't too funny. "Don't we, Kiera? Just ask your father; he's the master at it. Oh, I can't _wait_ to see how this unfolds...Sora, you just keep on fighting those Heartless."

"Let's jump in after him," Sora whispered to them. Kiera's pulse skyrocketed, and she shook her head like crazy. They totally ignored her.

"Why?" Donald asked Sora.

"I'm not sure, but he might lead us into the Organization's world."

The Organization member appeared to have heard him. "Don't be reckless. Do you want to end up like Riku?" Sora's eyes immediately widened, and his alert stance slacked a little, his head tilted up towards him with eagerness and slight fear. "What?"

He simply spread his arms out dramatically before walking backwards into the portal. Sora stretched a hand out towards him. "Hey, wait! ...What did he mean, 'end up like Riku'?"

* * *

Kiera turned around after hearing footsteps, and the formerly-unconscious blonde guy was striding towards them. "...Hey, how 'bout you get outta my town now? You've caused enough trouble."

"Riku..." Sora wondered out loud.

"Fine, have it your way! C'mon guys!" Donald quacked angrily.

Kiera glared at the blonde dude. "Oh, hell no! I crashed- er, I mean, DROVE- the damn Gummi Ship aaaaallll this way, and I did NOT do it to get shooed off by some guy who thinks he's real tough! So you just run along, now, boy!"

Goofy tugged her along by her arm. "C'mon now, Kiera, let's not cause an even _bigger _commotion. Let's just do as he says."

"Hold it!" He suddenly cried out, making Kiera perk up.

"Make up your damn mind!" Donald quacked, stomping his foot.

The boy (who she guessed was Seifer, since he was the only one in the sandlot when they arrived) thrust forth a really cool-looking trophy, with colored orbs on each end of the spiraled metal.

"This belongs to the strongest guy in Twilight Town."

"Thanks, but...we don't really need it," Sora replied. Kiera stomped on his foot. "Speak for yourself. Shoot, I'll take it! I'm the toughest _girl_, aren't I? Careful how you answer that," she added as Seifer opened his mouth to reply.

With a glare, he shoved it at her before stalking off. She smiled. "I _knew_ you'd see it my way! We can still chillax here, right?"

"Do whatever the hell you want, see if _I_ care," was his sincere reply.

Kiera grinned smugly at her companions. "There you have it. My clever skills of persuasion _totally_ worked on him."

Sora sweatdropped. "...He's probably more annoyed than anything."

"SIT."

_**THUD.**_

"DAMMIT, KIERA!"

"...Um, Sora?"

The two looked up, and Kiera slowly stopped laughing. "Oh crap! I forgot! Kairi's here, right? Where is she, Mexican Dude?" He looked bewildered. "Mexica- ...she's at the station. How'd you know? Wait, who _are_ you, anyways?"

Kiera ignored Mexican Dude, grabbed Sora's hand, and dragged him along, making him literally skid and hop along the pavement.

"Thaaaanks Peeeeencceee!" Sora shouted, sounding distorted thanks to Kiera's stupidity. Donald and Goofy sweatdropped, shook their heads, and ran after them.

Pence soon followed, shaking his head, too. "...What a crazy chick..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"He-ey!" the blonde dude Sora was friends with called, running towards them.

"WE GOT HERE AS QUICK AS WE COULD!" Kiera shouted defensively, coming to a complete and abrupt halt, making Sora flip and skid before finally coming to a stop a good three yards away from everyone else.

"So...how do you guys know Kairi?" Sora asked once his vision finally focused, staggering back to stand beside Kiera.

"Kairi was _really_ _here_?" Kiera asked, as if confirming her own vision. Like the sand all over her and in her hair wasn't enough to do so.

"Yeah, and...she said she was looking for Sora."

"Well, tell me where she is!" Sora said eagerly. Kiera stomped on his foot, making him groan. "Ow!"

"Please tell US where she is," she corrected innocently, making Olette cough to hide her giggling.

Hayner just shook his head. "Weeelll...Some dude in a black coat with spiky red hair came and took her in a portal. ...Basically."

Olette and Pence facepalmed as Sora's face turned into one of utter disappointment. "Way to take the gentle approach, dude," Pence said with a sweatdrop.

Kiera sighed and shook her head slowly,making sand hit Sora in the eye. "I should've hurried. I knew Axel would be back for her. She's too close to you, Sora. Why else would he want her, y'know? Besides the fact she's drop-dead georgous and in a short dress..." she muttered under her breath.

Sora paused in his attempt to rub the sand out of his eye, looking at her suspiciously. "What was that last part?"

"N-Nothing!" she said with nervous laughter, making everyone sweatdrop.

"...Uh-huh," Hayner replied with an eyeroll.

Sora took out some kind of star-shaped charm on a thick silver chain, staring down at it. "...Kairi..."

Kiera felt like facepalming him, grabbing him by the shoulders, and shaking him while shouting for him to get a grip.

But she was too nice.

...Hey, don't laugh.

"I'm sorry..." Hayner said, his tone more than a little uncomfortable.

"Hey, it's not your fault! C'mon, cheer up!" Sora said happily, before slumping back into his Depressed Pose. "Like _I_ can even say _that_..." he muttered, looking at the ground to his right, as far away from Kiera and Goofy as possible. She leaned towards him, about to say something comforting.

"I gotta help Kairi!" Sora suddenly shouted determinedly, making Kiera flip back and fall flat on her ass.

* * *

The trophy clattered, and the gems rolled right to Pence, Hayner, and Olette.

The blue one rolled to Sora's feet while Kiera rubbed her poor butt. "Why do I always land on my ass...?" she wondered as Hayner grabbed her hand and helped her up.

"Thanks!"

"Any time."

Sora was too busy holding up the stone to the light and zoning out to comment, and after a good minute or so, she huffed. "_You_ coulda helped me up, jerkface, since you were the one that made me fall," she muttered as she brushed herself off.

"Yeah, Sora, help the girl once in a while, would ya?" Hayner replied with a smirk. Kiera nodded. "Yeah! Finally, someone agrees!"

"What?" Sora said slowly, looking away from the jewel for the first time in forever. Kiera's temple throbbed, and she looked at the Twilight Town friends.

"...See, and he wonders why I get so easily annoyed with him." Olette and Pence just grinned, but it faded into amazed looks as the blue jewel turned into the lock for Twilight Town.

After Sora did his thing and unlocked it rather dramatically, they looked at him. "W-What just happened?"

"A new road was opened. And Riku and Kairi are waiting somewhere along it."

"You better hurry then!" Olette replied cheerfully. "You comin' back?" Hayner asked. "Promise."

As they left, Hayner shook his head as Kiera and Sora started having a stupid argument over the importance of whether or not Kiera got a waffle. "Man, if I were traveling through all these different places with a girl like that...the last thing I'd be doing would be arguing."

Olette's temple throbbed. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Hayner smiled innocently. "Oh, I mean, I would've knocked her out by now." She nodded. "That's what I _thought_."

Pence shook his head at his friend, who started laughing. "Nice save, Hayner. Nice save."

* * *

Kiera knew he was depressed when even arguing over waffles didn't cheer him up. Usually he smiled at least a little after they fought, but this time, he just plopped down tiredly in his chair.

"The King, Riku...and now I've lost Kairi again, too!"

"Don't be sad!" Donald quacked at the same time Kiera was about to say something. She tried again, only to have Goofy say, "Yeah, you're the key that connects it all together, after all!"

"...Great. So it's all MY fault!" Sora exclaimed, hanging his head miserably. "Gawrsh, I didn't mean THAT. Just do what comes natural to ya and we're sure to find 'em!"

Kiera gave up and, with a temple throb, stomped off.

Sora huffed. "Here I am, depressed after losing my friend to the Organization – AGAIN – and Kiera doesn't say a word. How selfish could ya get?"

"SHUT YOUR FACE, JACKASS!"

"_I'M_ THE JACKASS?"

"YES!"

"Guys, break it up!" Goofy said impatiently; even _he_ sounded tired with their petty arguments.

Kiera huffed. "I'll show HIM who the jackass is here."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FOUR ****HOURS LATER...**_

"Kiera?"

"WHAT."

"Can I come through there NOW?"

"Absolutely not."

"But I really gotta pee!"

"I don't give a crap! You're a guy, Sora, you can pee anywhere."

"Fine, I'll pee on your iPod!"

"NOOOOOO!"

"THEN LEMME IN!"

Kiera bit her lip before finally groaning. "Fine, come in. But cover your eyes!"

Of course, _that_ only lasted two seconds. When he saw her, he burst into laughter, doubling over and holding his stomach.

She was currently wearing an apron and standing over a stove impatiently; a rather _frilly_ apron. "This apron style took the least amount of summoning energy, and considering I still had to summon the ingredients and supplies, it had to do! Now shut up!"

They heard a _**DIIIIING**_, and she sighed in relief. "Oh, thank GOD," she muttered as she tore off her apron, grabbing two hand towels to open the stove and take the food out.

Sora's jaw dropped. "Is that...?"

Kiera grinned, setting it on the stove top triumphantly. "Hell yeah. A cake. With lots of icing. AAAAAAND..." she flicked her finger towards him, and a tall glass of milk appeared in midair.

He grabbed it slowly, as if a little dazed.

"Milk. See, I remembered," Kiera said matter-of-factly as she turned off the stove and made it all disappear. "Ahhh, the best part about being a Gatekeeper. No more cleaning. Ever. Unless you just _really_ want to."

Sora reached for the cake in her hand, but she drew it back quickly. "Nope, wait. You can't have it unless you stop your damn moping. We can't find Kairi if the wielder of the Keyblade isn't in good enough shape for me to boss him around however I please. Because if he can survive Kiera Sage, he can survive anything. So NEH. Promise."

He slowly grinned before taking the cake. "I promise." She shook her head, grinning back. "Nope, you gotta _pinky_ promise. Those are legit; break those, and you're definitely goin' to hell."

He rolled his eyes, and she held out her pinky, wiggling it in his face. "C'mon, pinky promise!"

"Pinky promise," he agreed, linking his pinky with hers. "Oh, and WHO'S the jackass here?"

"I aaaam," he admitted in a whiny tone.

She nodded with satisfaction. "Awesome."

"You want some?" he asked with his mouth full as she headed out of the room. Kiera shook her head, her back still to him. "Nope, I'm not feelin' good. Still."

She had just opened the door when he tapped her shoulder, and she turned around. "What? If you complain about that damn cake-" He interrupted her by kissing her on the cheek. "...Thanks."

She said the only real thought that managed to zip through her mind, and she was amazed her mouth still worked.

"...Don't think that'll work on me, I won't be makin' you cakes all the time now, Sora."

He laughed at that one.


	23. Menstrual Misery & Technological Terror!

**Back! Wow, 2 chapps in 2 days. You should be proud! **

**Well, read, review, enjoy! I think you'll like Sora's misfortune in this one...hehehe!**

* * *

"This cake...is really good!" Donald quacked, reaching for another slice. Sora took the knife right before him, cutting out a huge piece, and Donald's temple throbbed.

"...Brat. You and Kiera both."

"Hey, _she _made the cake. I'd say that's not bratty behavior," Goofy replied matter-of-factly. "No, she's still a brat," Sora and Donald replied in unison, Sora's mouth completely full and making crumbs fly everywhere.

Goofy and Sora laughed as Donald wiped at his face with angry quacks. "No one wants your germs, Sora!"

"What germs? I'm perfectly healthy, thank you!"

Donald snickered. "I dunno. You've kissed Kieraaaaa so many times, you might've gotten her Crazy Genes. Or worse...COOTIES!"

Sora paled. "Cooties? Those _exist_?"

"Oh, absolutely." Donald waddled around him in a circle, while Jiminy and Goofy watched on in amusement.

"First, it starts with stomach aches. Then, you feel tired a lot. And THEN, you could even get headaches! And sometimes, it feels like someone's punching your lower half repeatedly! And worse of all...you _bloat_!"

Sora gulped, then laughed nervously. "...Y-You're pulling my leg."

"Nope. Daisy told me that was why Queen Minnie was so scary for a whole week; there was a cootie outbreak! Poor King Mickey. But don't worry; usually, the person who gave you cooties gets it all first." The others all gulped at the prospect of hearing Kiera complain about the cooties.

As if on cue, they heard Kiera shout a string of curses. They heard her stomp to the bathroom before slamming the door shut.

"NOT MY NEW UNDERWEEAAAAR! GOD...DAMMIT!"

They all made faces. "...Did she...?" They all waved each other off. "Naaaah! No way, Kiera wouldn't crap her pants!"

They all then looked at each other before shooting up and running to laugh at her for doing something so stupid.

* * *

Sora was the last to approach the door, rubbing the lower half of his stomach absently. Kiera was groaning in the bathroom, and they heard the toilet flush and water running in the sink before she swung the door open angrily, whacking Goofy in the face.

"Sorry, Goofy!" she replied almost instantly as Goofy keeled over, but then she grabbed her stomach. "Oh God...It's starting...I HATE BEING A WOMAN!"

Donald nodded importantly as Kiera summoned a huge pill and a knife. "Yep, she definitely has the cooties," he told Sora as they watched her raise the knife.

"WHAT?" he shrieked in terror.

Kiera scoffed at Sora's alarmed expression. "You believe in cooties, Sora? The only thing that comes _close _to cooties are STDs, and I assure ya'll, I have none."

"So _you _say."

"WHAT WAS THAT, SORA?"

"NOTHING!"

She nodded before slamming the knife down on the pill, cutting it clean in half. Sora watched her warily as she downed half the pill with a glass of water, stuffing the other one in her pants pocket.

He also noticed she had changed pants since the last time he saw her, which was weird since she didn't usually change until a whole day had passed.

...Not that he looked at her body a lot or anything.

And it had only been about an hour since she made the cake, though, so why did she...

Sora shook his head, deciding some thinigs were better left forgotten.

"What's that pill for?"

"To slow the flow and make the symptoms less severe," she replied.

"Flow and symptoms of what?"

"Myperiod," she mumbled, turning red.

"Your what?"

"Myperiod,Sora,myperiod."

"...What?"

Out of nowhere, she got unbelievably mad at him, stomping her foot as a demonic aura surrounded her. "THE FLOW OF THE BLOOD COMING OUT OF MY VAGINA, SORA!" **(Brief A/N: This same scenario actually happened between me and my practically deaf male gym teacher. Needless to say, he said I didn't have to run that day. XD)**

Sora turned green, and Donald was laughing uncontrollably. Kiera's temple throbbed, and her killer gaze swerved over to the duck. "...Do you want roast duck to be the next meal I cook, Donald Duck?"

He immediately stopped laughing and ran to help Goofy, whom she had summoned an ice pack for earlier. He still had it pressed against his head.

"G-G-Goofy, I suppose you need help steering!"

"I'm right fine, Donald, you don't haveta-"

"I INSIST!"

Kiera shook her head at Donald's behavior. "Jeez, what a whimp." Sora gulped. "...Kiera...couldn't you have explained that a bit...I dunno...less bluntly?"

"NO."

"O-Okay, just asking!" Kiera's eyebrows shot up as he grabbed his stomach again before shaking his head and walking off, muttering to himself.

"Cooties aren't real, cooties aren't real, cooties AREN'T REAL, Sora, stop scaring yourself! Cooties aren't real..."

"Cooties? He's still goin' on about that?" she wondered before shrugging.

"Uhhh, guys!" Chip called. "You might wanna come see this!" Dale chimed. Kiera ran to catch up with Sora, quickly discovering that was a REALLY bad idea as she hissed in a breath, clutching her thighs.

"You alright there, Kiera?" Goofy asked. She nodded. "Yep, just a woman. Anyway, what's the damage?"

"It's Hollow Bastion...It's all covered in darkness!" Chip explained via intercom, him and Dale at their workstation somewhere on the lower levels of the Gummi Ship.

Kiera crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Well, _that _can't be good."

Sora sweatdropped. "Ya _think_?"

"SHUT UP, SORA!" She shouted, making everyone cringe. She then groaned, sinking to the floor and laying on her back with her eyes closed.

"I hate being a woman, I _hate _being a woman..."

"Cooties aren't real, cooties aren't real, COOTIES AREN'T REAL!"

Donald and Goofy sweatdropped, and Jiminy looked back and forth between the two teens quickly while taking frantic notes.

They were now both on the floor, clutching their stomachs and chanting their own little chants.

"...Morons."

* * *

As soon as they got there, Heartless came to greet them. Then they just randomly disappeared, making the currently-stomach-clutching Sora and Kiera sigh in relief.

Then Sora looked at the others. "Do you think..."

"Seems like there's more Heartless now!" Goofy mused. As if on cue, more Heartless wiggled on past them, making Kiera sweatdrop at the stupid noises they made.

_Man, and to think when I first saw those silver thingies, I was terrified..._

"...Let's go check in with everyone," Sora said slowly. He and Kiera started walking, only to whine "I'm so TIIIIIIREEEED!" at the same exact time.

Donald and Goofy shivered before following the two miserable teens. "I think they're all at Merlin's," Goofy informed everyone.

On the way there, they saw Cloud. "Cloud!" Sora greeted, groaning afterwards as he and Kiera clutched their stomachs.

"Whatchya doin'?" Donald asked him, trying his best to ignore their groaning.

"I'll get him. This time, we'll settle this. Me, and the one who embodies all the darkness within me."

Goofy nodded. "I thought you looked kinda different, Cloud."

"If I do, it's his fault."

"What's his name?"

"Sephiroth. Tell me if you see him."

"Okay, what's he look like?" Sora asked, him and Kiera now relaxed, finally getting a break from the killer cramps.

"Silver hair. Carries a long sword. Lemme know if you see him..."

"Sure. See you later, Cloud."

"Be careful. He messes with your head, makes you think darkness is the only way..." He trailed off as Aerith walked over. "What's wrong?"

"Uhhh," Sora and Kiera said oh-so-intelligently, thinking she was talking about their miserable expressions. But Aerith walked right past them, to Cloud. "It's nothing," Cloud replied. She looked closely at him, cocking her head this way and that.

"I don't want you involved," he finally said. Which, of course, _totally _meant there was something wrong.

"You mean you don't want me there when you go away again?"

"I just – listen, even if I go far away, I'll come back."

"Do you mean it?"

He looked away from her, a little to his right. "...Yeah."

"See? You don't look so sure. ...Well, okay, I understand. Go get things settled."

"Huh?"

"No matter how far away you are...once you find your light...it'll lead you right back here. Right?"

"I suppose."

"So I'll stay here – and I'll cheer for you – Okay, Cloud?"

"Okay." And with that, he turned away and walked off. Sora moved a little closer to Aerith. "Wonder if he'll be okay..." she said thoughtfully.

"He'll be fine. I'm sure there's some light in him somewhere."

Aerith smiled. "You're right." Kiera smiled, too. Even she had to admit, Sora had quite a gift. He knew when people needed to hear something, and knew exactly when and how to say it. It was...kinda admirable.

"Hey, Aerith...is there a way to keep me from getting Kiera's period every month from now on?"

Kiera's temple throbbed as Aerith looked at him funny._ ...I totally take back that whole speech._

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES AND THREE OF SORA AND KIERA'S MELTDOWNS LATER...**_

"So...tired..." Kiera grumbled as she and Sora trudged into the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee's headquarters.

Yuffie and Cid were there, and they turned around with sweatdrops at the sight of the two teens. "...Uh...You get here just in time. Got some good news for ya, so get yerselves over to Leon's."

"What kind of good news?" Sora asked wearily.

"We found Ansem's old computer!" Yuffie exclaimed happily.

"Oh boy!" Donald quacked. Kiera looked at her blankly. "...Who?"

"Should be able to get all kinds of info on the Heartless and the Organization," Cid told them, somewhat answering her question.

"I've told you about him before," Sora muttered.

Kiera nodded quickly. "Oh. OHHHH! _That _Ansem!"

"...You don't remember, do you."

"Yeah, I do, I totally do."

"Do you _really_?"

"No."

Sora sighed and shook his head before brightening. "Hey, maybe we can get some information on the Dark Realm, too. That looks like where Riku and Kairi are..."

"And the King," Donald added.

"Go see for yourselves!"

"It can't hurt!" Yuffie chimed before muttering under her breath, "At least, not more than having a _woman _for a Gatekeeper once that time of the month hits..."

"What was that?" Sora asked, still looking rather ragged and a little out of it. Kiera wasn't in much better shape.

"Nothin'. Just get to the computer room through the castle postern. Watch your step!" Cid added.

Yuffie and Cid sweatdropped as the two nodded before groaning and clutching their stomachs in unison again. "Owwww...!"

Kiera shook her head woefully. "Dammit, this is the worst period I've ever had!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVENTEEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

They were trudging along, rather miserably, through the cold stone area towards the computer room when they heard a rather feminine voice.

"Excuse me, are you with the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee?"

Sora and the others turned their heads, looking around. Nothing. Suddenly, three rather cool-looking...pixies appeared. At least, Kiera _guessed _they were pixies.

"What is Leon's group up to?"

"They've got stuff to do over by the castle postern." Kiera's temple throbbed. "Sora, you don't just _blurt out _people's locations when there's Heartless and Nobodies and God-Knows-What-Else lurking around here!"

"Scoop!" One of the pixies exclaimed happily as all three of them pumped their fists triumphantly.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"Let's report."

"To who?" Goofy asked.

"Our leader, of course!"

"Yeah, you know, Malefi-" The blonde was interrupted by the other one planting a hand over her mouth.

Kiera looked at Sora as if to say "I SO told you so," while they all sweatdropped quite epically at the fairies.

"Don't mind her. I assure you, we come in peace," the punk-looking blonde of the group said dully.

"You're kidding..."

"Problem? Okay, fine. _You _do the talking." With that, she disappeared.

"So sorry about this!" The brunette with the braid exclaimed before twinkling away as well.

The other one just giggled before sparkling and disappearing like the other two. Sora scratched his head in confusion.

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWENTY-SEVEN ****MINUTES AND INFINITELY MORE PERIOD-RAGES LATER...**_

"Leon!" Sora called.

"You guys found Ansem's computer?" Sora asked. Aerith nodded. "Uh-huh. The King's very interested in it."

"The King?" Everyone shouted. Even Kiera. After hearing everyone interested in finding him, she was real eager to meet this dude.

"He's with Leon," Aerith said simply.

Donald and Goofy pumped their fists happily. "We get to see the King!"

"Hooray!"

"Er...Is Riku with them?" Sora asked somewhat hopefully.

Aerith shook her head. Sora sighed, then brightened. "Well, at least I can ask the King about him. And that computer might be able to tell us something."

"Good idea! I think he has some theories on you two and your connection, too. They're right through here..."

Sora nodded and walked in the direction she pointed to before clutching his stomach again. "Dammit, Kiera!" he whined. "You and you periods!"

"I think this is _your_ fault," Kiera informed him matter-of-factly.

"My fault? _You're_ the girl!"

"Yeah, I know, but they've NEVER been this bad! ...Jeez, Sora, you're gonna make me have to go on birth control!"

Of course, then they heard someone behind them giggle. "Hey, you guys. Sorry to break up what sounds like a rather important discussion, but..."

They turned to see a chick in black with long, straight dark brown hair going to her lower back standing there.

"Have you seen a guy with spiky hair around?"

They all looked at Sora, who tugged on his hair meaningfully. She chuckled. "Spikier." They all shrugged, and she sighed. "I'll just look around..."

After lots of wall-knocking, shelf-moving, intense listening, and things of the like, she kicked the wall. Scaring the crap out of them. "Damn, falcon kick for the win!" Kiera exclaimed. There'd been many times she wanted to kick a wall, or kick a certain Keyblade Wielder _into _one.

"Sorry to bother you," she said simply, walking past them.

"No bother, ma'am!" the three guys chimed, standing to attention. Kiera rolled her eyes, and then they heard Leon.

"So, you finally made it."

"Leon!" Sora exclaimed. Kiera huffed. _Jeez, he's happy to say everyone's name but mine. Talk about annoying..._

Okay, so that was most definitely her period talking.

_Damn periods. Evil things. Catholic confession booths must be jam-packed with women on their periods._

She wouldn't be surprised.

Leon nodded in acknowledgement, and that was when Kiera and Sora finally took a look around. They had been so caught up in their argument over whose fault it was the period was so bad that they hadn't even noticed the room.

"Wasn't the King with you?"

"You'll see him soon enough."

"HEY!" Donald quacked indignantly. Obviously this King was sorely missed at the moment.

"Hey yourself. This oughta tide you over." And with that, he pressed his hand against the wall and a chamber opened.

"Ansem's computer room."

* * *

They walked into an extremely digital-looking area. They were on a strip of platform over what looked like bottomless darkness. Kiera inched closer to Sora, getting as far from the edge as possible.

"The computer room's through here. Computers are delicate; it's okay to touch them, but don't goof around."

They all nodded, but Kiera had a feeling they'd break that rule in five minutes tops. Almost as sure as the sun rising the next morning.

Sure enough, as soon as the computer came into view, Sora ran over to it. "This is it! Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?" He started pressing random buttons before smashing his hands not-so-gently on the keyboard like a moron.

"Hey, doofus, that's not the way you handle it!" Kiera shouted.

"Easy...You wanna break it?" Leon commented a few moments later.

"Oh, sorry. Guess I got a little carried away." Kiera sweatdropped. "Ya think? Oh, but sure, HIM you listen to. Don't listen to Kiera, the one who happens to OWN a computer."

Everyone looked at her, and she blinked. "...What?"

"YOU own a computer?" Leon asked.

She nodded. "Yep. And a laptop. It's like a computer, but you can put it into a case, zip it up, and carry around. Has the Internet, and iTunes, and all _kinds _of stuff on it."

Sora started bouncing in place. "So then you know how to work _this_!"

She shrugged. "I can try..." Before much else could be said or done, a little blue furball fell onto the keyboard.

It then turned out to be Stitch, and Kiera pulled a total Isshin-Gasp on everybody. "I LOVE YOU!" she exclaimed, bouncing excitedly.

Stitch was the most epic bad-guy-gone-good ever.

"Hey, get offa there!" Donald quacked at him, lunging for him. Kiera and Leon both sighed and facepalmed as he started jumping around on the keyboard and the alarm blared.

**"Attention current user. This is a warning. Further misuse of this terminal will result in immediate defensive action."**

"Who are you?" Sora asked the ceiling, making Kiera giggle.

**"I am the Master Control Program. I oversee this system." **

She paled, eyes going wide. "Holy shit. It _answered_. It's just like that one robot program thingie in Resident Evil, or in that space movie! The ones that try to kill the humans! NNNNOOOOOO! WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE, OR REBOOT IT, SOMETHING! I MEAN, I-"

Leon put a hand over her mouth as she continued to spazz out. "Shhh, I wanna hear what he has to say," he said simply.

"Where are you?" Sora asked the ceiling after smirking at Kiera's failed attempts to wriggle out of Leon's grip.

No reply. Donald pressed one tiny part of his webbed foot on a key (rather deliberately, if you asked Kiera), making all their temples throb en masse.

"Dooo-naaald!" they all shouted; Kiera would've thought it funny if she wasn't so pissed off. She took this opportunity to slide away from Leon, moving to stand by Sora.

It had become habit to do so; he had some sort of...pull to him. Like gravity. That pissed her off, too. In fact, she was pretty sure if someone said "cream cheese," she'd find a way to make that piss her off as well.

Stupid period.

"I'm sorry!" Donald whined.

"**Decision gate reached. You are now under arrest."**

"Arrest?" Sora wondered.

Kiera paled. "Oh. Oh. Oh...SHIT."

"Run!" Leon shouted, but they didn't respond quickly enough. The next thing Kiera knew, she was being zapped.


	24. Tron, King Mickey, & Sora's Sorrow!

**Back! And...home sick. With coughing and sinus and...of course...Mother Nature's favorite gift to bestow. **

**Sorry for the TMI Moment, but it had to be said. -_-'**

**So yeah. In short, this probably won't be the only chapp I upload today. Because I have nothing else to do! T_T**

**This is fun enough, though. So read, review, and enjoy! :D**

* * *

"...Ugh, I feel so VIOLATED," Kiera whined as she was redigitalized into one pixelated mass of Kiera-ness.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Violated? Please, like anyone would violate YOU."

"Do you have any IDEA what they can see when you're zapped? I'm sure they saw my tampon! ...Speaking of which..."

Kiera summoned an outhouse and a cylinder-shaped object with shiny wrapping paper, running into it and shutting the door. "What the hell are you doing?" Donald asked.

"Don't ask her that!" Sora groaned, but it was too late. She was already yelling.

"What am I doing? WHAT AM I DOING? Why, DONALD, I'm shoving another object inside me so that I don't HAVE LITTLE SQUARE PIXELS OF BLOOD running down my leg! THAT'S what I'm doing!"

"...She's changing her tampon," Jiminy and Sora added at Donald and Goofy's stricken-slash-confused expressions.

They just nodded slowly, and they heard the toilet flushing and water running before she stomped back out to glare at them all.

Like everyone else, she was now wearing digital glowy versions of her clothes. Only unlike theirs, hers was a rather bright lime green. Except for a rectangular digital version of her necklace; black for the choker ribbon part, red for the charm.

And her bracelets were multicolored rectangles as well.

She was currently fiddling with the odd hat on her head, scowling. "I'm not a hat person. Mother Nature's behind this. She _knows_ I'm not into hats. Giving me my period wasn't enough, NOOO, she had to make me wear a _hat_ on top of it!"

Sora blinked down at her innocently. "I think you look great in a hat."

She elbowed him in the ribs, making him groan. "I HAVE CRAMPS, TOO, KIERAAAA! THAT'S PUNISHMENT ENOUGH!"

"Then don't kiss ass. Jeez, Sora, I think that was the worst attempt you've ever made!" Then she grinned at him. "Well, at least my hat's cooler than yours."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is NOT!"

"IS TOO!"

"They look exactly the same, moron!"

"Do not! Mine's a different color! DUH! Are you color-blind?"

"Nooo. Well, besides the color, they're EXACTLY the same!"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "...SIT."

_**THUD.**_

"Dammit, Kiera!"

"Uhhh, guys?" Donald quacked alarmingly from a little ways off. The two looked over at him and Goofy, both Disney characters currently being marched by weird digital creatures that looked like messed-up sentries.

"Go on, show 'em who's boss!" Sora cheered while Kiera took another pill. A digitalization started to manifest in front of her, and it turned into a rather ominous-looking digital dude in red uniform and a helmet that had a plastic guard for his face.

Kiera stared at him speechlessly, still really creeped out that the computer could talk to them this way.

"Who are _you_?" Sora asked.

"I am Commmander Sark."

"A Heartless commander?" Sora asked with heavy skepticism.

"Observe," he said simply before looking at the Heartless. Suddenly, Donald and Goofy's renderings seemed to glitch, freezing up. Sora immediately backtracked.

"Okay! You're the boss! I get it."

Kiera swallowed her pill while gulping, and made a face. It had sat on her tongue too long, and she summoned some water from behind her back.

Commander Sark looked at her sharply. "You. Where did you get that otherworldly item?" he asked, referring to the glass.

"I had it with me," she replied simply.

Sora eyed her strangely. "No you di..." he trailed off as she shook her head stiffly. Something in her head was screaming to her that she shouldn't let this Commander dude know about her summoning abilities.

And contrary to popular belief, her Inner Kiera was actually kinda smart.

Sora nodded and looked at the Commander instead. "So...what now?"

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

Kiera was curled up in the corner of the Containment Center, which was a fancy word for prison cell. It sounded a little less depressing, though. Not by much, but at least a little.

She was exhausted. Stupid period. She had been nice enough to summon Sora a pill once Captain Asshole was gone, as well as a soda.

She drank hers just like he had, but it didn't help her much in the energy department. It seemed to help Sora _plenty_. So, once again, Mother Nature was playing favorites to the human race, and the male species was winning.

What a brat, that Mother Nature. She must've been bullied in high school by a redhead and never gotten over it or something.

"What kind of world _is _this, anyways?" Sora demanded to know.

"It's the world lurking inside a computer, apparently," she muttered miserably. "Sorry, Facebook world, but I just might never use my computer again after this. ...If I get home at all..."

"She's right, you know. About the world. You're inside a mainframe computer system," a random dude's voice informed them from Kiera's left.

She jumped after realizing her feet were actually touching this random digital man, and she sat straight up.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"You're quite alright," he replied pleasantly.

"A _what_ system?" Sora asked.

"A computer system – for processing data."

"And typing, and radio streaming, and Facebooking," Kiera added brightly. The man chuckled. "I don't know about all that, but I'm sure you're correct. As long as it's data."

"I guess I'd call Walls and Relationship Statuses and Profile Info data," she replied.

"This system is a copy of one created by a corperation called ENCOM. The original program was destroyed. But this copy was acquired by another User. The User updated and copied the programs, renaming it 'Hollow Bastion OS'. He used it for town maintenance, and to advance his private research. My name is Tron. I'm a security program, but now I'm under arrest, same as you."

Sora looked at Donald and Goofy. "Did you guys get any of that?"

"Gawrsh...You know, maybe we should just introduce ourselves."

"I'm Sora."

"I'm Donald."

"Nice to meetchya, Tron. I'm Goofy!"

Kiera stood. "Basically, what Tron said was that this world was designed by a company called ENCOM. Like...artists. Sort of. They made the programs for this computer, and made a copy of it all. The original was destroyed, and someone got their hands on THIS version of it. They changed the stuff in it, then gave it a different name, 'Hollow Bastion OS'. Then they used the programs to keep Hollow Bastion in order. Tron here is part of those programs, he's a defender to make sure nothing bad happens to the computer. Kinda like us against the Heartless. Now the Red Dude, Captain Asshole, has taken over, and Tron's arrested like us."

She then smiled at Tron. "And I'm Kiera. Hi."

"Hello. Judging by your configuration, you must all be Users."

"Users?"

"You better get outta here quickly. Who _knows_ what the MCP will do to you?"

"M...CP?" Sora asked slowly.

Kiera couldn't help but giggle at Sora's expression as Tron explained. Poor guy looked so confused. It was kind of cute.

"Master Control Program. It controls the whole system. If you idle here, you _will _be derezzed."

"Derezzed?" Everyone shrieked. Not that they really knew what that meant. Kiera figured it could possibly be slang for deresolutionized, or _some _long name along those lines that she couldn't quite remember.

The digital term for murder.

_...Well, crap._

"Well, how do we get outta here?" Sora asked a little frantically.

Tron walked over to a hexagonal device. "This terminal could've gotten you back to the User World."

_Could've?_ Kiera wondered as the others brightened.

"But the MCP cut the power 50 microcycles ago." They all slumped in Ultimate Depressed Modes, while Kiera sniffled.

"I think I'm gonna cry..." she whimpered. "If we could bring the energy core in the canyon online, we could power it back up."

They glanced over at Kiera as she suddenly started crying. Sora sweatdropped. "...Uh...Kiera? Why're you crying? Didn't you hear what he said? There's a way back!"

"YEAH, I heard!"

"Then why're you crying?"

"I DON'T KNOOOOW!" she sobbed, crying pathetically. Tron looked concerned, and Sora just shook his head, putting his hands on Kiera's shoulders. "Don't mind her, she's on her period."

_**BAM!**_

"Holy SHIT, what was that?" Sora asked groggily, rubbing his head from his position on the floor.

"You just got FALCON PUNCHED!" Kiera shouted triumphantly, having punched Sora and making him launch up into the air before crashing down.

Sora rubbed his head some more dazedly, and Tron chuckled. "Huh. That's one use for those helmets, I guess. But anyway...I'm afraid that the problem is, we're stuck in this cell. We're not going anywhere unless we unlock the energy fields."

After a moment of thought, Sora summoned his Keyblade. And after doing some fancy moves, the shiny energy fields blocking the doorway vanished.

Kiera sniffled for the last time, wiping her eyes. "...I'm hungry." And with that, she summoned some chocolate.

Sora suddenly sniffled. "I...I want some chocolate..."

Suddenly, _he _was the one crying. Everyone sweatdropped, and Kiera quickly handed him some chocolate. "Here, take some!"

"It's not the same! You're just giving me chocolate because I'm ANNOYING, AREN'T you? Kieraaa, I feel funny! MY PANTS DON'T FIT THE SAME WAY! WHAT'S GOING ON HEREEEEE?"

Kiera couldn't help but giggle. "I...think you're bloated, Sora. I am, too."

"YEAAAH, BUT YOU STILL LOOK GOOD, AS USUAL! WHAT ABOUT ME? HUH? I'M A GUUUUY, WE DON'T _BLOAT_, KIERA! It's...just...not...NATURAAAAL!" he wailed, sobbing into her shoulder.

She held him away from her at arm's length. "Jeez, Sora, get a hold on yourself!"

He plopped his face against her chest, making her turn bright red. "EASY FOR YOU TO SAY! YOU'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS EVERY MONTH FOR YEARS!"

"Sora, that's my boobs you're soaking."

"I DON'T CARE RIGHT NOW!"

Kiera's temple throbbed. "Why you little –"

"Remarkable..." Tron said thoughtfully. She glanced at himm, trying to ignore how much her body was tingling at the moment.

"What is?"

"It seems Sora has some unique functions..."

Kiera's temple throbbed again. "Unique is one word for it, all right..." Goofy leaned towards Donald. "Gawrsh, does he mean the Keyblade or how he's suffering from a period like Kiera?"

"We may never know, Goofy."

Tron then nodded determinedly to himself. "I'll go with you to the canyon. You need someone who can interface with the energy core, right?"

"Probably. Thanks, Tron," Kiera said politely. She was amazed she could act so casual while there was a guy attached to her chest.

_Almost like it were a normal thing...how slutty...I should probably force him off now. Besides...I think he's making my...no, no, NO, never MIND, forget you thought that. I do that when it's cold or it's raining, too, it 's totally normal and has NOTHING to do with him, no, NO, NO NO NO NOOOOO...no._

"GET OFF ME, SORA!" she shouted, pulling him away from her. He sniffled. "...Sorry." Something about his expression made her wonder if he was as clueless about her reaction as he seemed.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

It was a really odd-looking thing. Sort of like an hourglass, a rather digital-looking hourglass, with a simple computer jutting out of it on one side.

There were monitor screens lining the top, as well.

"This is the energy core," Tron announced. Kiera and Sora had taken more pills, and were a little better now.

Mostly.

Suddenly, a ton of boxes showed up. "Look like we have to find the real parts..." Tron informed them.

Kiera looked at Sora.

Sora looked at Kiera.

"Do it," was all he said.

She nodded and thought about a GPS that would shoot arrows and blare when it located the box, and an object like that appeared in her hands.

Who said Gatekeepers weren't imaginative?

"Incredible," Tron breathed as she shot it at every box in sight, laughing maniacally. "That won't work on me, I'm too awesome for your Jedi mind tricks!" Kiera shouted as they started going around in circles to try and confuse her.

Two minutes later, the boxes all stopped moving and the real parts had been found.

"Epic," Sora said. He and Kiera exchanged a fist-bump as the red box floated up, sliding into place up above them on the top of the hourglass-looking thingie.

"How did you do that?" Tron asked her. She shrugged. "I'm just one awesome and gifted User."

"That you are," he agreed, nodding.

The spindle part of the hourglass-looking thingie suddenly whirred and lit up, and the whole thing slid underground, making the platform they were standing on light up in a technological pattern.

"Mission accomplished?" Sora asked Tron.

"Yes."

"Now...Will you do something for me?"

"You got it!"

"Don't you want to hear what it is first?" he asked.

Donald shook his head. "You helped us, now it's our turn!"

He grinned. "You guys really are Users. Your actions are totally illogical." Kiera smiled at him. "Ask anyone, Tron. Illogical actions are the most fun."

"You would know, those're the only actions you DO take," Sora commented.

She laughed and nodded. "Yep!"

Tron pointed in a general direction. "Let's head back to the pit cell."

"Where's that again?"

"That's where we first met."

"Roger that!" Sora exclaimed cheerfully. Kiera smiled and shook her head at his sudden change in lingo. _Tron must be rubbing off on him..._

* * *

Once they got back to the room with the hexagonal computer, Tron did his thing while the others stood in front of the screen, just like they had been back in Ansem's computer room.

"So what did you want us to do?"

"Find my User. He'll give you the password to the DTD."

"You got it!" Donald quacked.

Sora tapped his chin. "So, umm..."

Kiera grinned as Tron seemed to know exactly what he wanted to ask. "DTD is the name my User gave the dataspace. Copies of all the original system programs are stored there, along with anything that's sensitive or restricted."

"Is there information on the Heartless? Or Organization XIII?"

"Hmm...Most likely." He kneeled back down in front of the computer, his back to them again. "A number of my functions were appropriated when I last took on the MCP. That's why I need the password."

Tron stood, looking at the screen before turning to look at them. "If I can get inside the DTD, I can access my original backup program and restore all my functions. Then I'll be able to put this system back the way it was before the MCP got control and changed everything. The way it was supposed to be – a free system, for you – the Users."

"Gee, Tron, ain't the MCP one of those original programs, too? Do ya know who it was who made it?" Goofy asked. That was actually a real good question.

"Actually...I _don't _know."

Sora shrugged. "Okay, we'll just have to find your user and ask him. What's his name?"

"You mean you don't know? My User is the user of this system: Ansem the Wise."

"ANSEM?" everyone shouted, jumping back. Kiera glanced at them. "...Is that bad?"

Suddenly, the monitor went all staticy and roared to life on them. Tron kneeled in front of it again, messing with it.

"Looks like the MCP's on to us. I'll keep this terminal up and running. You better exit the system, now!"

Sora looked uneasy. "Sure, but...Tron...Ansem is..."

"We'll get ya the password!" Donald interrupted.

"Okay. You're good to go. Hurry!"

And just like that, they zapped out of there.

* * *

Once they got back, everyone patted themselves all over to make sure they were the same before jumping up and down happily.

Kiera and Sora then decided that was a terrible idea and just clutched their stomachs. "We did it!" Donald exclaimed.

"Where have you been?" Leon asked, relieved.

"Well, uh...There's a...world inside this computer where these, um...programs live...and..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWO ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"So, in other words...Ansem's research data is off-limits unless we know the password," Leon clarified.

"Pretty much."

"But you've already defeated Ansem," Leon pointed out. Kiera looked at Sora for confirmation, who nodded.

"Gawrsh, maybe we'll never find the password."

"That means...this is all a wild goose chase."

"You're chasing _what_, now?" that same voice from earlier asked. They turned to see the girl in black looking at them, hands on her hips.

"Well, well! A hidden room! Guess I'd better take another look around..." She walked off, and after exchanging looks, Kiera and the other three followed.

"She just won't give up..." Sora observed a few minutes later as the woman became increasingly violent in her search for this spiky-haired man of hers.

"And neither will we!"

"C'mon, we've gotta look for that password!"

"Right. We made a promise to Tron."

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

They all paused their fruitless search, both Sora's group and the girl in black. They were now all staring at a painting.

Kiera made a thinking face. "Y'know...this may happen in pretty much every mystery novel known to man, but maybe a clue's behind that painting..."

Sora waved her off. "That's crazy."

The girl in black didn't look so sure. "Excuse me," she said simply before walking up to the painting and gently taking it off the wall. Behind it was a drawing in purple.

It looked like a drawing of a heart, with fancy circly thingies around it and writing to each side.

"A diagram," Kiera said thoughtfully, peering at it as well.

The girl didn't seem to be able to care less, and she punched the wall. She stayed like that for a moment, breathing heavy, before turning to them.

She sighed with disappointment, raising her hands in an "I Don't Know" kind of gesture before walking off.

The others stepped closer to the drawing. Sora stood beside Kiera, cocking his head to the side.

"What's _this_ doodle?" he asked, making Kiera glance at him. "I told ya, a diagram."

Donald squinted at it and read. "Hollow...Main...Security...Tron...Door to..."

"Door...to...darkness...?" They were all quiet for a few moments, completely stumped. Even Kiera, who was usually pretty good at these puzzle things. Playing games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil did that to you.

"No, look! D...T...D!" Sora exclaimed, pointing to each letter.

"DTD!" Donald quacked. Kiera laughed in disbelief and ruffled Sora's hair. "Nice catch, Sora!"

"What's up?" Leon asked as he walked in.

"Look at this! This must be the dataspace. The DTD. See? The Door to Darkness!"

"Well, whaddaya know. But...that still leaves the password." Kiera's temple throbbed at Leon's statement. "Well thanks, Johnny Raincloud. Way to rain on my parade."

"Say, fellas, did somebody mention the Door to Darkness?" a voice Kiera would know anywhere asked.

She whirled around excitedly like everyone else to see Mickey in a cloak much like the Organization's.

"GAH! IT'S MICKEY MOUSE! NO WAY! I VISIT YOU EVERY YEAR IN DISNEY WORLD!"

* * *

"Kiera, show some respect!" Donald scolded.

He then proceeded to pretty much glomp Mickey, making her temple throb. "YOUR MAJESTY!" he and Goofy exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly.

Kiera should've known Mickey was a King in this world. "Long time no see!" Sora greeted, earning a "Shh!" from the aforementioned King.

Kiera pointed at Sora with a smirk. "Neener neener neeeener. Miiii-ckee-eey shushed you."

"Shh! The Organization might be listening! ...You mentioned a Door To Darkness?" They all nodded, while Kiera continued to gape at him.

"Oh, uh, yessir! Ya see, we're looking for the secret password."

"Password? Oh, I guess you mean like a code! Well, the Door to Darkness can only be opened by the Seven Princesses. There's Snow White, Jasmine, Belle..." he trailed off, and Leon walked towards the Computer Room.

"Of course..." he muttered.

"What're you tryin' to do?" Mickey asked them.

Sora was the one to answer. "With that password, we can get access to Ansem's research data."

"So that means you might be able to find out where he is!"

"Stop jokin' around, Your Majesty. We already defeated Ansem, you know that."

Mickey frowned. "Well, looks like I got a lot of explainin' to do."

"We're listening, Your Majesty!"

Sora nodded. "Okay...But first, I got a question..."

"Hey, isn't Tron waiting for you guys?" Leon asked right as Kiera opened her mouth to ask Mickey a few questions of her own.

Mickey nodded assuringly at them. "Don't worry, I'm not goin' anywhere. If those Heartless attack, I'll stand and fight with everybody here."

Sora nodded. "Yeah...we will, too."

"Then let's talk more later." Mickey then looked at Kiera and patted her arm. "You too, Kiera. I'm sure there's a heap of things you wanna ask me!"

She smiled and nodded.

"That's a promise!" Donald added, and Mickey nodded in reply.

"Oh! One more thing! Lemme give you and Sora's clothes more powers," he added suddenly.

"Really?" Sora and Kiera asked eagerly.

"You bet! You both have done so much – especially when you were thrust into something so huge – and you're getting along exceptionally well..." he trailed off as Donald, Goofy, and Leon started chuckling at the part about them getting along.

Kiera and Sora exchanged an eye-roll, which made Mickey grin as well. "...Well, either way. Just consider it a thank-you present."

"Thanks, Your Majesty!" they said in unison.

"We're heading off to see Tron now, so wait right here for us, okay?"

"I will, Sora. And remember – be careful!"

The two teens nodded, and as they walked out, Kiera handed Sora another pill. "People are gonna think you're trying to overdose me," he commented.

"Maybe I am," she replied.

He swallowed it down without hesitation. "I'll take my chances. I'll probably die either way, my stomach's gonna explode, I swear. How do girls _handle _this?" he wondered, making her giggle.

And after Sora pressed a couple buttons, they were zapped back to Tron's side.


	25. Tron, Chibis, Riku, & Prettyboys

**Back again! Huge thank-you to all those new reviews, alerts, and faves. And happy late Thanksgiving! :D**

**Well, this one's quite long. 16 to 17 pages, according to Open Office. But oh well, I haven't updated in a while anyways, right?**

**So read, review, ENJOY! 8D**

* * *

"Gawrsh, I wonder where Tron is..."

Kiera shrugged. "I guess computer programs have needs, too. Maybe he went for a cup of tea."

"Don't touch that!" Donald quacked suddenly.

He yelled too late; the monitor Goofy had been fooling with suddenly went static-y and whirred to life, like it had last time. "Goofy!" Everyone shouted. Suddenly, Kiera and Sora were zapped.

"I didn't do it!" Goofy said innocently. Donald started quacking a stream of curses as he and Goofy were zapped as well.

They all arrived in some weird arena-looking place at the same time. Kiera felt nervous already.

"I didn't touch nothin'," Goofy said innocently. Kiera rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and _I_ don't have unpaid driving tickets."

"Which we all know is true," Sora added. She nodded. "Hell yeah. A whole glove compartment full of 'em. Speeding tickets, too-"

"**Welcome to the Game Grid!"** a voice that sounded like Commander Asshole greeted not-so-warmly.

"Game Grid?" Sora repeated while Kiera stomped her foot. "I WAS _TALKING_, COMMANDER ASSHOLE!"

"**...I guess you have sealed your fate, young female User. I shall be looking forward to your demise. That's right, you've been chosen to play a few games. Lose, and you will be subject to immediate deresolution. Win, and...well, no one wins," **he said with an ominous chuckle.

"We're not gonna play your games!" Donald declared.

"**You have no choice!"**

"Well then, get on with it!" Sora shouted.

_**

* * *

**_

_**A ****MINUTE LATER...**_

Sora's groan was rather loud as Kiera ran over and hopped onto his cool motorcycle-thing behind him.

"Get off!"

"No way! I'm coming with you."

"No way! You're staying here."

"No WAY, we're supposed to work together."

"NO way, since when have we done that?"

"Sora, the signal went off. GO, MORON!"

Having no choice but to do so, Sora groaned again and took off. Heartless appeared on both sides as soon as he did so, and Kiera summoned a whole box full of heavy books. "What the hell?" Sora asked as he focused on steering.

"Volumes on law!" Kiera replied as she hit the Heartless in the faces with them. It didn't take long for them to go away for the time being.

"LEFT!" she shouted right before a wall showed up in front of them. Luckily, he had listened to her for once.

"How'd you know that?"

"Women's intuition?"

"Hahahaha! That was a good one!"

Kiera's temple throbbed, and she made a mental note to keep one of the books on hand so she could whack him with it when this sadistic game was over.

"LEFT! ...LEFT AGAIN!"

"I am so sick of you screaming 'LEFT!' right now, you just don't even _know_," Sora shouted.

"I don't care. LEFT AGAIN!" A few moments later, she killed the last Heartless. The bike disappeared, making Kiera fall flat on her ass. A giant purple...monster...spider-like...robotic...THING appeared, and she groaned before summoning a slingshot. "I've got this."

She aimed while still on the ground, but then Sora grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Hey, looks like we can escape through there!"

"Awesome!"

They started to run towards it, but then another bike appeared, and walls formed again. "...SHIT!" they both cursed before climbing on the stupid bike. Kiera sighed and summoned more books, this time adorned with spikes.

"LEFT! ...LEFT! ...WATCH OUT FOR THE PILLARS! AAAHHH, WALL!"

"YES, I CAN SEE THE WALLS!"

"HARD RIGHT! LEFT!"

"BUT I WANNA GO RIGHT!"

"LEEEEEFT!"

"Alright, now RIGHT! LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! LEFT! RIGHT! RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT! RIGHT! RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT!"

"...Okay, dead ahead!" Kiera finally shouted, the crack now in sight. And then, they were zapped. They reappeared back in the place they had first met Tron. Kiera and Sora looked rather tired. "That...was a lotta Heartless...and a lot of damn turns..." Kiera muttered before summoning a huge bottle of Fiji water.

Speaking of Tron, he was face-down on the floor.

"Tron!" Sora exclaimed, running towards him.

He slowly got to his feet, staggering. "I don't understand. Why are you here?"

"We came to give you the password!" Sora answered.

"Why didn't you just...transmit the data?" he asked as if they were idiots.

"Transmit?" Donald repeated.

Kiera snapped her fingers. "Of course! I can't believe I didn't think of that! It'd be just like sending an E-Mail!"

"Hey, are you okay?" Sora asked as he helped Tron stand upright without swaying. Kiera offered him her water, but he shook his head stiffly. "No, thank you. I'll be alright...once we access the DTD."

"Well then, children, quit dawdling and let's go!" Kiera declared.

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWENTY-THREE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Whoaaa..." Kiera muttered as they approached the DTD.

"Alright, what's the password?"

"Well...Belle, Snow White..." Donald began.

Goofy picked up where he left off. "Aurora, Alice, Jasmine, Cinderella..."

"...Kairi," Sora added quietly.

Kiera looked around. "Where?"

"No, she's one of the Princesses."

Kiera's temple throbbed. "I'm pretty sure she's not. If I read about her in one of the Disney books, or saw her in a movie, or saw her in Disney World, I would remember. ...Also, I would've shot myself in the head."

"What?"

"What?"

He just shook his head. "You're so weird."

"YOU'RE WEIRD!"

"Kairi, got it!" Tron shouted over them. They both shut up as he typed it all in.

The dataspace whirred to life. "That did it!"

**_"Now switching DTD over from hibernation mode to active mode. This process will take some time. Please enjoy a game while the process is running."_**

Sora and Kiera shook their heads like crazy. "Oh no. Oh HELL NO. I am NOT having Kiera Sage as a backseat driver ever again!"

"I was helping, dumbass!"

"You shouting 'LEFT!' ninety-seven percent of the time was not helping!"

"You would've _crashed _without me, and you know it!"

"No, it's not THAT!" Tron shouted, again getting them to shut up. "It's the DTD's final security routine. This isn't a game. Stay focused!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWELVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Worst...game...EVER," Kiera panted as she lay sprawled out on the database floor, clutching her stomach as she felt cramp after cramp.

Stupid Sora was totally fine, his pill was still working. She didn't have enough energy to summon herself one, and she had taken one long before he had. "Worse than fricking Monopoly! ...I take that back, that game can be fun sometimes..."

Sora rolled his eyes before gently picking her up. "Even _I_ feel kinda sorry for you," he commented.

She blinked at him. "It's my eyes, isn't it?" she teased, laughing as she widened her brown eyes.

His eyes shot away from hers to look at Tron as he placed his hand on the control pad, which just made her laugh even more.

"I'm as good as new! All my functions have been restored!" Tron exclaimed, making her attention swerve over to him.

"Oh boy!" Donald cheered.

Suddenly, those static noises filled the room again, and everyone but Tron was flung back to the walls.

"Gah!" Kiera shouted as she was suddenly out of Sora's grip, skidding across the floor. "...Well..._that _sucked," she groaned, looking up at the ceiling and trying not to focus on how much her ass hurt on top of her cramps.

"**Finally. I have full access of the DTD. My takeover of the system is now complete. I might have anticipated such a simple password. ****What's this...an emergency destruct program for the town. Let's see how it performs."**

"NO!" Tron commanded before touching the keypad again. He then pressed a few buttons with finality.

"**Program! You changed the password."**

"There, that should buy us some time."

"Tron! Tell us what's going on!"

"The MCP's loading a hostile program into the I/O tower."

"What do we do?"

"We've got to protect the User Town. Let's head to the tower!"

Kiera rolled across the ground and staggered to her feet, checking a watch she had summoned. "CRAP!" she hissed, tossing it behind her.

Not time to take her next pill yet. She stomped after the others, totally moping. _Why is it that every time I come SO CLOSE to getting a ride the rest of the time, something happens that really hurts my ass, and then I never get the damn ride? _

**_

* * *

_**

**_INFINTELY _****_MANY __MINUTES __LATER__..._**

"Navigating through this joint is almost more painful than being a woman," Kiera observed moodily, heaving a heavy sigh as more Heartless appeared.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Hey, at least you've _felt _this period stuff before. If I can handle it, you can handle it."

She huffed at him, temple throbbing after all the Heartless were defeated. "And here I thought once you experience my pain, you'd understand. But no. I'm stuck with a die-hard fricking OPTIMIST!" she wailed miserably. Sora sweatdropped, shook his head, and dragged her along as they followed Tron into the I/O Tower Room.

In the center of the room was a dark purple orb-like thing, with dark energy coming off it in waves that were plainly visible, swirling up towards the roof and surrounded by pink neon tubes of light. "It must be chaos outside." Tron commented.

Donald nodded solemnly. "I think there's gonna be trouble INSIDE, too..."

Tron turned to a computer in the corner, then shook his head and ran back into the hallway. "We've got to stop these hostile programs from entering the I/O! It's best to stop them from right outside the door."

They followed him, and Kiera promptly sweatdropped at the sight awaiting them. Some kind of giant...floating...brain-like...veiny...purple-and-pink-schemed...thing with a horn on top was waiting for them.

Its hands started whirring, and Kiera sweatdropped some more. "What...in the name of Sam Hill...is THAT?"

_**"I'm disappointed with you, Program. Why do you insist on allying with these selfish Users?"**_

She put her hands on her hips and looked up t the ceiling like everyone else, huffing. "That doesn't answer my question!"

"Because I want to help them," Tron declared to the air. "Something written into my code commands me to do what is right."

_**"Really? And what command would that be?"**_

"I can't really say for sure."

"Friends – they help each other, that's all," Sora explained. Kiera nodded, as did Goofy and Donald.

At the end of the day, even she had to admit, she'd do anything to help her friends. Sora, Donald, and Goofy included.

"Uh-oh – look out!" Sora shouted as technological walls surrounded them, trapping them with the creature. While him and Tron teamed up to do technological attacks, Kiera summoned a monkey wrench and waited for an opening. Once one was presented, she teleported herself onto the back of the robot, going to work on the bolts connected to its laser beams in its hands.

She disabled one right before it reached Donald, who quacked in relief. Then off went the second one, which almost hit Sora in the head. She got a temple throb from him for that, but Tron looked pleased. With its attacks now extremely limited, it was taken down moderately easily. She grinned smugly at Sora, holding out her fist. After a few moments, he sighed heavily in defeat and returned the fistbump with just a little hint of a grin.

"C'mon, admit it, I was pretty cool just then."

"You twisted a wrench around a few times, that's all."

"While riding a deadly robot!"

"Yeah, well –"

"YOU GUYS!" everyone shouted, Tron included. "Bigger problems are afoot," the computer program stated with a shake of the head. "You Users, I just don't understand why you fight so much."

"They suffer from a chronic love-hate relationship," Donald explained, making the two teens's temples throb.

Tron just chuckled before kneeling in front of the computer, pressing random buttons. "I really owe you one. With all my functions up and running, I think I've got a chance at getting System Control away from the MCP. Now I'd better get to work. It's what my User would want."

"What Ansem would want..." Sora added thoughtfully. "Listen, Tron. We didn't get the password from Ansem. We just sort of...found it, by accident, back in the User World. And, one more thing? Ansem– he was our enemy. I mean, he still is...I guess."

"Well, actually...he's my enemy too," Tron replied, making everyone but Kiera jump. Kiera was doing a good enough job keeping up with the conversation, not knowing much of anything about this Ansem guy.

"W-What do you mean?" Sora asked in disbelief.

Tron stood. "Ansem took ENCOM's original system and customized it for his own use. I was part of the original system, and Ansem modified me, too. So that makes Ansem my User. But Ansem is also the one who brought back the MCP. The Ansem I first knew wouldn't do that. ...I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"That's okay, but - ...now I _really_ don't get it," Sora commented with a slight whine. That was probably his period symptoms' doing.

"Welcome to my world, I don't even really know who this Ansem guy _is_," Kiera whined, making them sweatdrop.

"I don't understand it either. But I think Users, like you, are going to be the ones to figure it out. You have the ability to take illogical routes and _still _arrive at the answers you seek. Now go– before the MCP starts acting up again!"

Sora pressed the button to transport them back to the lab, and Tron gave them some last words of advice. "Any data you need from the DTD can be accessed directly through my User's terminal. I'll keep a dedicated access channel open for you. I changed the password, so you won't have to worry about the MCP for a while."

"Access channel?"

"I knew you'd ask," he said with a laugh. He bent over and pressed another button on the computer before standing back up and elaborating. "It's a very important link between our worlds. It's how we stay connected."

They were zapped and surrounded by pixels as Tron stretched his arms out enthusiastically. "You...my friends...are the new password."

"Reeeally?" Kiera asked with wide eyes. "I've never been used as a password before! Not even for my old boyfriend's Facebook!" she squealed happily.

Sora grinned and shook his head at her before waving to Tron. "Thanks Tron! Take care!"

"You too. And give my best to the Users!" he replied, giving them a thumbs-up before they were transported back to the research lab.

* * *

Sora looked around the lab as Kiera ran over to inspect something moving on the computer screen near Leon. "Well, that's that," he commented simply.

"Look!" Leon said, pointing to the screen Kiera was currently peering at. It had four chibi-esque images of them in which they were all running, and occasionally the Chibi Sora and Chibi Kiera would turn their heads towards each other and start shouting while waving their hands and arms spastically.

"Awwww, that's so cute! How'd he make those?" Kiera cooed, tapping at the screen as if it were a cute baby. Donald sweatdropped.

"Tron...hang in there," Sora said.

"So, where do we start?" Leon asked.

"I know! Let's access the DTD!" Sora exclaimed.

Leon went over to the other computer, typing some things in. Kiera peered over his shoulder curiously. "The King's checking the situation in town. He'll be back soon, so don't worry." He paused for a second, leaning closer to the screen. Kiera giggled; it reminded her of the time she had to give her mom and dad tips on proper texting. THAT had been a hilarious three-hour lesson.

"Hey, it's asking for a password."

Goofy was the first to reply. "That's easy! It's –"

"Sora!" the Keyblade wielder shouted enthusiastically.

"Donald!" the duck added with his index finger pointing towards the sky importantly.

"Goofy!" the...whatever he was proclaimed proudly.

Kiera struck a heroic pose of her own. "And Kiera, of course!" she added.

"That's...to the point," Leon commented with a sweatdrop, typing it all in.

"Well?"

"That did it. We're in." He turned away from the computer, looking down at Sora. "I need to go into town and see what that last shakeup did."

"You're not gonna check out the data? It wasn't exactly easy to get!" Sora exclaimed. Kiera giggled as he stomped his foot rather childishly, and Leon sweatdropped.

He looked at him for a long time, then at Kiera for a long time. Then back to Sora. Then back at Kiera. "...Kiera, are you...uh..."

She beamed and nodded. "Why yes, yes I _am _on my period!" she announced proudly, making everyone but Sora sweatdrop.

He was currently drooping. "And it _sucks_!" he whined, sniffling a little.

Leon couldn't help but start laughing, and Kiera giggled too. "Why are you in such a good mood all of a sudden?" Sora wondered.

She shrugged. "That's how it goes when a woman's on her period. You can go from wanting to strangle anything that crosses your path to wanting to frolick in a field of daisies and hug everyone. It's an out-of-control roller coaster ride of hormones, basically."

He drooped even further, making her laugh all over again. "That's not fair, I'm still in the miserable stage! When's it gonna be _my_ turn to start frolicking?"

"Sometimes you just STAY miserable, Sora. And never frolick. EVER."

"WHAAAAT?"

Leon shook his head at them with a grin before clearing his throat. "Hey, Sora – if you're not too much of an emotional wreck – why don't you get started on loading the data and copying it down? It's just a few keystrokes. Easy, right?" he asked, patting Sora's shoulder once as he walked out.

Sora walked over to the computer, Kiera less than a foot away. "Could you get _any _closer to me?" he asked with a temple throb.

She sniffed importantly. "Since I deal with computers on a daily basis, it'd be best if _I_ handled this. But I _know_ you won't let me. So instead, I'm making sure you don't do something incredibly stupid, even though I _know_ you will. Savvy?"

He rolled his eyes at the use of Jack Sparrow's word and focused on the computer. After a few moments, Donald asked innocently, "Did it work?"

"Hey, these things take time, okay!" Sora snapped, and Kiera couldn't help but snicker to herself.

"That time of the month got you down?"

"Shut up please," he said distractedly.

Kiera huffed and continued watching. "You're no fun on your period."

"That just sounds so _wrong_," Donald muttered. Goofy nodded quickly in agreement.

"Whoa...it's doing something!"

"I think it wants to know what _we_ want to know!"

"Riku and Kairi!" Sora said happily, typing it in carefully. Much like her dad did after the accident, when he had to get his fingers working properly again. They told him to practice typing on a keyboard, which was the most of a workout one's fingers can get. Seeing him type things up with one finger at a time like that had been pretty funny, and Sora was doing the same exact thing now. Just one more instance in which he reminded her a lot of her dad. It made her smile and think back on a lot of funny moments where –

"Data error?" Kiera read in confusion.

"No way..." Sora muttered before turning away from the computer and sulking. "Even _Ansem's computer_ doesn't know..."

"Are you sure you typed it right?" Kiera asked, peering down at the keyboard.

"Of course I did! I know how to spell my best friends' names!"

"Hey, I know how to spell 'cat' too, but I've spelled THAT wrong on the computer before." He ignored that, still sulking. Goofy looked at Kiera. "You're better at computers, right Kiera?"

"Most definitely."

"Can you ask it if it knows about the Nobodies?"

She nodded and typed it into the search area in less than ten seconds, making Goofy and Donald let out a whistle. "Wow!" Some windows popped up onto the screen, and she tried to read them over. "What's this?" Sora asked.

"No clue, that's what I'm trying to figure out," she murmured distractedly. Right as she was about to finish reading the first sentence, that stupid "DATA ERROR" window popped up.

"_**The Data is corrupt."**_

"What?" Donald quacked.

"Ugh, this is worse than pop-up viruses!" she growled, trying to click on the window below it to make it show over the sign. No such luck.

"How about the Organization?" Goofy asked. She typed it in, with the same result. Sora stood beside her and started smacking the keys rather angrily. "Stupid computer!"

Kiera sweatdropped. "...Wow, _someone's_ pissed."

"So-ra!" Goofy scolded, but then a picture of a man with blonde hair and facial hair popped up onto the screen. Kiera spastically smacked his hands away from the keyboard. "NO MORE TOUCHIE, LOOK, SOMETHING POPPED UP!"

He paused in his tirade to look at the picture himself. "Who's _this_ guy?" Sora asked no one in particular.

"I dunno, but it looks like he shops at Banana Republic or something," Kiera said thoughtfully.

"Welp, I see ya got things workin'!"

"Oh, Your Majesty!" everyone but Kiera exclaimed as she continued to squint at the photo before turning towards King Mickey. He put a finger to his lips before striding towards them. "Good goin'. The computer should tell us what we need to know."

"But it keeps on sayin' the data inside is all kerr-scuffled!" Goofy told him. Kiera sweatdropped. "...You mean corrupted?"

"Yeah, that!"

Sora pointed at the computer accusingly. "Either way, all it gave us is a picture of some guy we don't even know."

"Ansem the Wise!" Mickey declared.

Sora crossed his arms. "Come on, are you teasing us again?"

"Did you forget what Ansem looked like, Your Majesty?" Donald asked.

"Of course I didn't. And this is him! I'm positive!"

"Huh?" Donald quacked.

"Excuse me? Could you come this way please?" Sora asked, dragging King Mickey along with him. Kiera sweatdropped and followed them back to Ansem's library. "So much for showing the King _respect_, huh?" she told Donald pointedly. The duck quacked and held his palms up towards the ceiling innocently.

Sora led them all to the portrait they had removed to find the diagram earlier. "Look, THIS is Ansem. Y'know, the guy we all worked really hard to defeat?"

"Oh, that's right. I never finished explaining, did I? Well, the man in the picture is definitely the one who tried to take over Kingdom Hearts – the one you fellas defeated. But, what you actually fought was his Heartless. See, he wasn't really Ansem. He just went around _telling_ everybody that he was."

"What a _wannabe_," Kiera muttered, making everybody sweatdrop.

"You mean...WHAAAAT? We went through all that trouble to defeat an _imposter_?" Sora wailed.

"Yep. A fake. But he still had to be stopped," Mickey replied as Sora struck his Ultimate Depression Pose.

"Aw, I can't believe it..."

"Uhhh, I'm kinda confused. If he's a fake, then what happened to the _real_ Ansem?" Goofy asked, him and Kiera looking at the portrait.

"Welp, that's just what I'm trying to figure out. Ansem the Wise should know all about Organization XIII's plans, what's going on with all the worlds...and a lot more on Kiera and her connection with Sora. I'm pretty sure he'll give us some help."

"Ya know, I came close to finding him once."

"Don't tell me there's more! I'm lost enough as it is!"

"Well, let's see. Some fellow named Ansem, who wasn't really Ansem, got turned into a Heartless. Does that mean a Nobody was created, too?" Goofy asked with a scratch of the head.

Kiera cocked her head. _Huh. I never even thought of that! ...No one ever gives Goofy enough credit, he's pretty damn smart._

"Yup! And _that_ Nobody is the leader of the Organization."

"WHAAAT?" everyone shouted, Kiera included.

Mickey continued in his casually upbeat tone despite their dumbfounded expressions. "I know I've seen this fake Ansem before, and I've seen the leader of the Organization, too. Hmm, kinda felt like bein' around the same fella."

"So, where'd you meet this guy?" Sora asked.

"Gosh... I can't remember. Ansem the Wise – the real Ansem – MUST know the fake Ansem's identity. That's why I've got to find him and ask him about it."

"_You_...You started all of this. Because of you, Riku and Kairi – Oh! Your Majesty, do you know where Riku is?"

Mickey slumped, looking a bit...defeated. Kiera's stomach dropped. _Please don't say he's dead...I don't think Sora could take that...In fact, I know he couldn't. _"He's...I'm sorry. I can't help you."

"Really, Your Majesty? Are you sure?" Sora asked after moving to look at his face.

Kiera turned even more suspicious as Mickey swerved so his back was to Sora again. "I'm sorry, Sora." _He's most definitely hiding something. Something big...?_

"What about Kairi? Organization XIII might've kidnapped her!"

Kiera's temple throbbed as Mickey seemed concerned about THAT news. _Stupid girls with pink hair, it really IS true!_ "Oh no! ...Sora, Donald, Goofy...I was plannin' to go get help from Ansem the Wise. But now I know I forgot the most important thing. Helping others should always come before asking others for help. We're safe and sound – and free to choose! So there's no reason we shouldn't choose to help our friends!"

They all nodded. "Let's look for Riku and Kairi together." As if on cue, the whole building shook. Which made Kiera realized she should change her tampon as soon as possible. She groaned and summoned an outhouse, stomping into it. _Obviously SOMEONE doesn't want us looking for Riku and Kairi...! _

"Outside!" Sora declared as she ripped open the package of the stupid tampon. After a moment of thought, she summoned a couple pads as well with a decisive nod.

"Sounds like we gotta start by helpin' out here!" King Mickey added. Then it was really quiet, and Kiera's temple throbbed. "IF I GET OUTTA THIS OUTHOUSE AND FIND THAT Y'ALL LEFT ME, I SWEAR I'LL..." she opened the door after washing her hands and saw they were still there. She nodded her approval and followed them out. "Good boys. You're learning."

They soon ran into Maleficent on their way out of the research lab, and she stared at them. Then, with a scoff, she turned into green smoke.

"Heartless: leave the white ones. Turn your attention to Sora and his friends!"

"Awww, can you not?" Kiera whined, summoning that rolling pin thing that Muriel always hit Ustess over the head with in "Courage the Cowardly Dog". _Man, I love that show..._

"Uh-oh!" Goofy exclaimed as they advanced, and Kiera gripped her rolling pin tighter. "Agreed."

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE MINUTES LATER...**_

"Where's Maleficent?" a girl asked as Kiera wiped the gooey Heartless shadow-like blood off the end of her rolling pin. It made her jump, and she turned to see Sora talking to the three fairies from before. "Looks like she ran away," he was saying.

"Well, that was PRET-ty lame of her."

"I guess we picked the wrong side." The three fairies formed some weird kind of spaced-out group huddle, whispering excitedly with each other.

"Umm, hey...if you're looking to pick sides, why don't you join Leon? He could always use some help," Sora commented as Kiera and the others continued to sweatdrop.

"Does this Leon have any _treasure_?" the one in the center with the long brunette hair asked importantly.

"Yeah, _lots _of stuff!" Donald said rather sneakily and with a greedy laugh.

"Perfect!"

"Who ARE you?" Sora asked.

"Oh, we're nothing worth mentioning," the brunette replied.

"Just three treasure fanatics," the punk-looking blonde added dully.

"Later taters!" the blonde on the left said cheerfully. And with that, all three vanished.

"Did Leon..._really _have any treasure?" Sora asked Donald.

He just laughed mischieviously again and ran off. The others followed, and Kiera rolled her eyes at Sora's distracted expression. She smacked him upside the head, which got his attention easily enough. "Ow!"

"I can always summon them _plenty _of treasure, give your guilty conscience a rest already!" Three white Heartless appeared, and Sora and Kiera took them out with one blow each.

"NO TIME FOR YOU," they said in unison, making Donald and Goofy sweatdrop.

They continued on their way only to have some bright sparkly light catch their eyes. "Whoaaaa," everyone but Kiera said dazedly. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Sparkly...bright...light...oh, GREAT, Edward Cullen's come to join the battle, JUST WHAT I FRICKING NEEDED!" she fumed.

But she was wrong. It was most definitely _not _Edward Cullen. She let out a sigh of relief, making Sora sweatdrop. "What's got you so relieved?"

"I thought Edward Cullen was gonna show up, but thankfully I was wrong yet again."

"...I don't know why I even asked," he muttered to himself, obviously having no idea who or what she was talking about.

"Neither do I," she replied brightly.

The man had long white hair, and dark sapphire wings that had the upper part on the right side missing. His outfit was rather dramatic-looking. "Sora, it's Sephiroth!" Donald announced.

"Ain't Sephiroth the one who's supposed to be the dark part of Cloud's heart?" Goofy asked.

Kiera nodded slowly. "Ohhh yeaaahh, NOW I remember him mentioning this guy!"

Sephiroth finally spoke. His voice was so gentle that it made it cold and dangerous. "Did Cloud tell you that? Then he must understand now."

"Just what're you gonna do to him?" Sora asked a bit frantically. Kiera glanced at him. "Calm down, Sora, jeez. We'll kick this guy's ass no problem."

Sephiroth ignored that. "Nothing. Cloud is the one who hungers for Darkness."

Kiera held up a finger importantly. "And _I _hunger to know if you've ever tried sitting on your hair? Or use it as a shawl, maybe?"

Sora and the others sweatdropped. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Asking a question or two, is that not allowed anymore?" she snapped. Everyone held up their hands in surrender, while Sephiroth ignored her. Again.

"He said he's got a score to settle with you," Sora commented.

"I see. He wants to meet me again." Sephiroth started walking off. "Then I should give him what he wants. That last bit of light is _always _the hardest to snuff out."

And with that, he rose into the sky rather dramatically before vanishing within a circular dark mass. Kiera shook her head slowly. "...What a prettyboy." Everyone looked at her with fresh sweatdrops, and Sora rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's just keep going."


	26. The Battle of 1000 Heartless

**Back again! Well, you guys...it appears the emotional crap hits Kiera's fan in this chapp. ...That MIGHT make sense by the end of this chapp XD**

**Well, thanks again for the reviews, faves, and alerts. Now, folks...read, review, review again, and ENJOY! :D**

* * *

They ran on to find Leon and Aerith fighting Heartless. "We'll help!" Sora exclaimed, rushing right in. Kiera was right behind him, used to him dragging them into fights by now and...kind of starting to enjoy it.

"Sora! Behind you!" Aerith exclaimed. They all turned around to see Heartless that reminded her of the clothes in the Sleeping Beauty Era and Silent Hill nurse movements all at once. It was really creepy.

"GAH! DIE DIE DIE DIE!" Kiera shouted, summoning a bow and arrow. A few minutes later, they were all gone. Leon and Aerith were far ahead, running off. Leon turned to look at them. "The King's in the bailey. You better head over there!"

"Got it!" Sora replied, and then they were off and running again. Due to hauling so much ass, they had found Mickey within minutes. Of course, Kiera was throwing a Mega Bitch Fit in her head the whole time.

"Whoa..." Sora muttered, putting a hand above his eyes and looking out. Kiera did the same, and made a similar noise of reaction after seeing all the Heartless rushing and fighting people.

Kiera shook her head. "There must be _thousands _down there..."

She then sweatdropped as they saw Stitch's laser shooting Heartless from all the way where they were standing. "...Dang, Stitch can kick some serious Heartless _ass_!"

"Leon, everybody...hang in there!" Sora said suddenly, making Kiera jump.

"...My sentiments exactly," she agreed cheerfully.

"C'mon, let's just keep going."

"Righto."

They ran down the slope they were on, only for Kiera to get the crap scared out of her when King Mickey jumped down in front of them, spreading his arms wide. _Jeez, the way he was spinning and all, I thougt he was a ninja before I saw the ears..._

"Okay, fellas, _you've _gotta go find Riku and Kairi!"

"But Leon and the others are friends too!" Sora protested.

"Don't worry. There's already lotsa help here. We'll take care of this fight."

"But...I promised Leon..." Sora looked so conflicted that even Kiera felt her gut twinge, telling her they should stay. And it seriously had nothing to do with Kairi being the alternative at all. It just didn't feel right to leave just yet.

"Donald, Goofy, Kiera – get Sora outta here and get goin'!"

The two stood at attention, but Kiera shook her head. "I'm sorry, King Mickey, but...I can't do that."

"Riku, Kairi...give me a little time, okay?" Sora asked the air.

Donald and Goofy looked at each other and nodded. "Your Majesty! We understand. We'll go find Riku and Kairi!"

"Right. Watch for danger."

"You be careful, too!"

Sora and Kiera both turned to look at them. "You guys, wait!" Sora protested.

"Sora, do as you're told!" Donald scorned in a tone that Kiera recognized very easily, and she smiled at the two. _Now that's friendship right there: Donald disobeying orders._

"You two're comin' with us whether you want to or not!" Goofy added, nodding decisively.

"Soraaa, you gotta be good!" Donald continued, winking at him. Sora smiled so quick it was kind of funny. "Gotchya."

"Well then, skedaddle."

"Let's go!"

They all ran towards the edge and jumped off the edge, running across the plateau Mickey was on. He looked a tad bit pissed when they turned back around, and Sora said quickly, "Sorry Your Majesty!"

He grabbed Kiera's arm, and with a yell of indignation from her, they jumped down. "PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY!" she added as they went down.

"Hope ya can forgive us!" Donald said as he jumped too. He was soon followed by Goofy, and they were off running again. They hadn't gotten very far when yet another dark orb-like mass appeared. Kiera was about to wonder who it was, but then she felt her shoulder sting. She gripped it with a hiss.

"Kiera, are ya alright?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah, but...I have a feeling the Organization's here."

"Right you are!" Demyx replied as the mass disappeared, revealing him in all his cloaked glory.

"Hey, _you guys _are looking lively," he commented, spreading a hand out towards them.

"Scram!" Donald quacked, making Demyx mock offense.

Sora spoke next. "Didn't we catch you messing around in the Underworld? Yeah, I remember. Kiera threw a pot at you. How'd a whimp like _you _get into Organization XIII?"

Demyx jumped back, making a big show of pretending to be scared-slash-offended. "Oooh, what a buuurn!"

"Kiera beat you no problem, you don't put up much of a fight!"

"But we do!" Donald added.

He held up a finger and waved it back and forth in a tsk-tsk-tsk motion. "You shouldn't judge anyone by appearance or past experience. ...Except Kiera Sage, there. She's _always _been that h-"

"Hey, watch it!" Sora snapped, while Kiera shakily summoned a baseball bat. Her shoulder was burning in time with his movements, and she didn't like it one bit.

Demyx turned away from them, apparently talking to himself. "...You think he's alright?" Kiera asked.

Her friends gaped at her. "Of course he's alright, he's got no heart!"

Demyx suddenly turned around, looking a tad bit hurt. "Oh, we do too have hearts! Don't be mad..."

"You can't trick us!" Donald replied with a quack.

"Silence, traitor," he said suddenly, pointing accusingly at Sora. Kiera looked between the two, and Demyx held out a hand.

"Not too late, Kiera. Come with me, back to the Organization. You'll end up there eventually, you might as well cut your losses and come now."

He must have taken her confusion for indecision, and tilted his head to the side. "You know...you _do _look a bit like your dad. In a cute way, of course. He misses you, you know. It's lonely up in that mansion, he says. Up in the lab."

Kiera paled, shoulder burning even more. "_What_ did you just say?"

"He was in your dream, wasn't he? I _told_ them they shouldn't have let him do that. I was worried it'd upset you. I was right, wasn't I? He's asking an awful lot from you, isn't he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she seethed, her grip on the bat tightening. Demyx sighed and shook his head.

"C'mon, Kiera! We both know you won't be able to do it if you spend much more time with this traitor. You have a heart, and no matter what kind of research your father collects that says it can be damaged again, it can't change the fact that you still have a perfectly good one right now. _I _know you have a good heart, and I don't wanna see you hurt any more than necessary. ...You remember that mark? On your shoulder?"

She glanced at her shoulder reflexively. She seemed to be the only one of her friends not completely dumbfounded by all this at the moment. Demyx nodded. "I _told them_ letting him see you was a bad idea. Sure he's your father, but when he wants something, he won't stop until he gets it. Will he?"

Kiera shook her head slowly. "N-No, he won't."

"And you and I both know what he wants you to do. Don't we?"

"...Yes."

"Now that you know he's alive and well, you'll do whatever you can to see him again...right?"

"...Yes."

Demyx held out his hand again. "I can take you there. I see him on a daily basis. He'll be happy to see you."

Kiera eyed him suspiciously. "...How do I know you're not just sending me off to an Organization member?"

"Oh, your dad isn't part of the Organization. Not _really_. He has his own reasons, he's just...working towards a common goal of ours. If not for that goal, he'd probably turn on us in a heartbeat."

"...Common...goal?"

Demyx tilted his head to the side and smiled. "To bring you both back home to Grace, of course."

_Home...both of us? Together... _"I..."

Demyx looked at Sora, then her. "Not to rush you or anything, but I suggest you hurry up with the decision-making. Something tells me Roxas won't wait forever."

"My name's not Roxas, for the last damn time!" Sora snapped, bringing Kiera back to reality.

Kiera inched backward a little, unconsciously shifting closer to Sora. "I-I can't. As great as that sounds, going back home...I can't. For now, my place...My place is here."

Demyx groaned and slumped. "Awww, c'mon! You know that's not true!"

Sora summoned his Keyblade, putting it in front of Kiera as Demyx attempted to inch closer. "Kiera belongs _here_...with us. Even _I_ know that. So leave her alone!"

Demyx looked at them for a really long time before straightening, white ghost-like scraps floating quickly up and down around him. "...I'm sorry, Kiera. I'll have to try and convince you some other time. Try not to get hurt too much during our fight, okay?"

Kiera gripped her bat tighter as his sitar appeared in his hand. He pointed at Sora, then played away. "You...are _dead_!" Kiera and Sora jumped out of the way in opposite directions, and she decided to change weapons. She threw the bat at Demyx's head before summoning a bow and arrow. "OW! Sage, you really know how to push it sometimes!"

Sora went right after him, as usual, jumping into the air and landing a few hits on him. _I never did understand how he can stay suspended in mid-air for so long. He's gonna have to teach me once this is over..._

Kiera shook her head and focused on trying to find his weak spot. She noticed that Demyx may have _acted _like a whimp around them, but he really was a pretty good fighter. He was landing a lot of hits on Sora, and that...made her...mad.

_Mad?_

Why was she mad? Kiera shook her head again, focusing on taking out the ten forms they were supposed to defeat. She got six of the ten, which was pretty awesome. How was she repaid? One of Demyx's damn attacks got her full-on, and she was hurled against the wall. "Okay...owww..." she groaned.

Donald shouted "Heal!", and green light briefly shone around her before she felt as if she'd never been hit. She nodded at Donald appreciatively before summoning a flamethrower. "LET'S SEE YOUR WATER ATTACKS WORK _NOW_!"

But before she could even attack him once with it, Sora suddenly struck a blow that seemed to be the final one. Kiera hissed in a breath, clutching her shoulder and making the flamethrower disappear as the pain flared up even more.

Demyx panted before sinking to his knees, putting one hand out in front of him. That hand grabbed Kiera's foot. "No...No way!" he wailed, sounding like he was on the brink of tears. His grip on her foot tightened briefly as his weapon turned into water and evaporated away. "Kiera, be...be careful..."

Just like that, black stuff started evaporating off of him, and with a bright light, he was gone. The pain in her shoulder immediately disappeared, and she stared in shock at the place he had been crouching. Though she hated to admit it, Kiera was sad. Something told her that his methods were for shit, but his intentions weren't always all that terrible. After all, he'd been willing to help her, and it looked like he had genuinely cared for her wellbeing at least a _little_...hadn't he?

Her hands shook, and she blinked quickly as her eyes started watering. "Anyone from the Organization who'd like to be next?" Sora shouted at the air.

"Hey, Sora! Don't antagonize them!" Donald scolded as Kiera blinked quickly. It didn't seem to help much; the blinking, that is.

"Yeah, we gotta go help our friends out first!" Goofy added.

Sora laughed and ruffled the back of his hair anxiously. "Oh. Sorry."

"Then let's go!" Donald exclaimed.

"Ah-HA! There you are!" Mickey said suddenly, striding over to them. He looked a tad bit pissed, which gave Kiera all the more reason to keep her eyes on the ground.

"You sure got lotsa friends to help," Mickey commented after what seemed like forever, his tone a lot friendlier than his face had looked a few moments ago. "So, I guess we better all pull together and finish this battle for good!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

They started walking, and Kiera sniffled before attempting to stand up. Her head jerked up to the right when they heard an explosion. Goofy saw it too, and one of the spherical debris was heading straight for King Mickey.

He ran over and pushed him out of the way. "Look out!" Goofy was hit right in the head instead, skidding and bouncing into the wall to Kiera's left.

She stared in disbelief, blinking a couple times and not quite believing what she was seeing. _Goofy isn't supposed to get hurt...he's a Disney character! _"Goofy!" Sora shouted. Donald and Sora ran over to him, and Donald shook him. "No..." Mickey said softly.

"Hey! You're the King's Captain! You gotta get up!" Donald shouted at him.

"C'mon, wake up!" Sora said desperately.

"I'm sorry about the ice cream!" Donald said sincerely.

"Goofy?" Mickey said gently. Kiera shook her head slowly, the lump in her throat growing even bigger.

Donald hung his head, quacking miserably. "Oh noooo...Goofy..."

Sora inched closer to Goofy, lowering his head as well. "This is not happening...It _can't _be happening...it can't..."

"They'll pay for this," Mickey stated suddenly, shedding his Organization cloak (revealing an outfit that looked a lot like Sora's old clothes, even if they were smaller) and running off with a Keyblade of his own.

"RAAAAGRRGHHH!" Donald shouted next, quacking and waddling out of there with pure fury etched all over him.

Sora looked at the fallen Goofy, fists clenching as Kiera sniffled again, and then he ran off in the same direction as the others. Now the tears were _really _brimming over. "S-Sora?"

He skidded to a stop, turning to look at her from up ahead. "Kiera, you're still here?"

She wiped her nose with her arm, not really caring how gross that was. "He...He's gonna be okay...isn't he? He can't be seriously hurt, or...or ki-...worse. He's a Disney character, and Disney characters _never _die. ...R-Right?"

He walked over to her and simply poked her near her collarbone. "I can't be sure about all that. But either way, let's go kick some Heartless ass. Staying here won't do him much good, will it?"

She wiped her eyes, shaking her head. "N-No, not really." He tugged on her arm, and she ran after him.

* * *

Yuffie. Leon. Yuffie again. Cloud. Leon some more. She and Sora helped them all while trying to catch up with Donald and The King at the same time.

And it was NOT easy for Kiera, being on her period AND an emotional wreck. Finally, they reached some sort of cavern-slash-canyon area, and Mickey and Donald were there waiting.

"You two okay?" Mickey asked gently.

They both put their hands on their knees and bent over, panting. "Yeah, fine, but..." Donald hung his head, knowing exactly what Sora was referring to. "Ohhh, Goofyyy..." he groaned.

Kiera straightened and handed Sora the second half of his pill, summoning some water. She noticed with dismay that due to all the Heartless she'd fought, the best she could summon was a small styrofoam cup. "Here. Something tells me you're gonna need it."

"You should've saved your strength," he replied, taking the half-pill and cup from her.

"How'd you-"

"Please, Kiera, _everyone knows_ you like to summon entire glasses. It takes you a whole glass to swallow half a pill."

Donald sweatdropped. "Only _you _would know that..."

"Hey, fellas!" Goofy suddenly shouted from behind. Everyone's heads jerked up and around to look, and they all brightened. "GOOFY!"

He ran towards them, and Kiera ran to meet him halfway. "COME HERE, YOU!"

He laughed as she glomped him, patting the top of her head. "Shucks, Kiera, you worry too much. ...But ya know, that _really _hurt," he commented, referring to the debris that had hit him. Mickey ran over, and Kiera made room for him to hug him as well. "Aww, Goofy!" he said wth a laugh.

"Gawrsh, Yer Majesty, I get bumped on the head ALL the time!"

Sora laughed at that one, and Donald marched over. Mickey and Kiera let go, expecting them to Bro Hug or something, but instead Donald clocked him with his staff.

"Ow! That hurt, too!"

"Don't you EVER do that again!" Donald quacked. Kiera giggled at that, and after a few moments, they all ran out and continued on their way. However, they reached a dead end when they came across a huge swarm of Heartless.

"Huh?"

"What's with them?"

Kiera shook her head. "They're just..._standing _there."

"Hey!" Goofy said suddenly, pointing up on a cliff. An Organization member was standing up there, and he removed the hood of his cloak. Everyone else immediately tensed, while Kiera's shoulder stung in warning again.

"It's the guy who's NOT Ansem!"

_That's him, huh? He kinda reminds me of the guy with the two scars on his nose...And no, I don't mean Itachi..._ Kiera shook her head quickly; now wasn't the time for random thoughts, she was tired enough as it was without making herself run in mental circles.

"You mean, it's his _Nobody_!" Goofy corrected.

"The leader of Organization XIII," Sora added.

Mickey's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. Now I know! ..._Now _I remember! Xehanort! Ansem's apprentice! The leader of Organization XIII is Xehanort's Nobody!" And with that, Mickey summoned his Keyblade again and charged up the hill to fight him.

"Let's go!" Sora declared, but the Heartless swarmed even closer to them.

"Move it!" he shouted, swiping his hand for emphasis.

"We can't let Xehanort get away!" Donald exclaimed as if they didn't already know that.

"Right!" Sora replied. They all looked at each other, and Donald and Goofy winked at them before going off in opposite directions.

Sora looked at her, and she summoned a box of small explosives. "You know I'm coming with you, right?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I figured."

She grinned at him. "I'll be right behind you!"

"I figured _that_, too," he replied before running straight ahead, Kiera not more than five feet behind.

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****HOURS AND ROUGHLY A THOUSAND HEARTLESS LATER...**_

Kiera was tired. So _tired_. She didn't know how much longer she could summon items, but luckily she was smart enough to summon things that she could use at long- and short-distance while standing in one place.

Like those explosives. And a bow and arrow. And it was good to have a powerhouse like Sora around, so he took out most of the ones coming their way. She couldn't help but feel a bit...how to say it..._limited_.

Like she could only do so much, and nothing she could do would be quite enough. She didn't like it. Finally, Sora killed the last one, and she followed him again. As usual; she was always following. He paused, putting a hand on the wall and catching his breath. _Jeez, even Sora the fricking superhuman's tired... _Kiera ran in place, worried that if she stopped she wouldn't be able to start going again.

Eventually, they somehow made it up that damn steep hill, and King Mickey was there waiting for them. So was Xehanort. "Your Majesty!" Donald shouted, announcing their arrival.

"Xehanort!" Mickey said, looking at the Organization Leader, who currently had his back to them.

"How long has it been since I abandoned that name..."

Sora stepped forward, using his crazy hand motions again. "Out with it, Nobody! Where's Kairi! Where's Riku?"

"I know nothing of any Kairi. As for _Riku_..." he turned around as he trailed off before picking back up where he left off. "Maybe you should ask your King!"

"Stop!" Mickey shouted, running after him as Xehanort disappeared into one of those damn black masses the Organization seemed to be so fond of using. Taking King Mickey with him.

"He's gone..." Sora muttered, falling to the ground in utter defeat. He pounded the ground with his fist lamely a few times. Goofy and Donald looked to Kiera, who nodded and staggered over to him, sitting on her knees. Her temple throbbed suddenly. "...Even on my knees, you're somehow taller than me..."

"Kiera!" Donald quacked, and she cleared her throat. "Oh. Right. Sorry. ...Sora, it's not as bad as it-"

"Oh, really? How bad _is _it, then? Huh? Tell me!"

Kiera sighed exasperatedly. "This comforting thing _really _isn't working for you, is it?" After a few seconds of thought, she put her hands on his shoulders, glaring at him. "Sora, you get your sorry ass off the ground and stop punching it like a moron RIGHT NOW. If anyone's gonna be a moron, it's me. And you're _not _taking my job from me, ya hear? Look at me, I can barely _walk _I'm so tired! Who's gonna kick ass for me if you're over here sulking? And since when do _you _sulk, anyways? Stop being a whimp, stand up, and let's go kick some ass and find your damn beloved Kairi and Riku! Got me?"

"Kiera!" Donald quacked again, and she looked over at him in annoyance. "WHAT?"

"Look," Goofy said suddenly, pointing behind them. Sora stood to look as well, and Donald helped Kiera up.

"Thanks, Donald."

"What's goin' on?" Goofy asked no one in particular.

"Way to fall right into their trap," Axel said from behind them. Kiera's shoulder stung, and she tensed, turning to look at him.

He was leaning against the wall casually, arms crossed over his chest. The others ran over, weapons at the ready, while Kiera slowly followed them.

"C'm-ooon, it's a set-up by Organization XIII. Xemnas is using _you _to destroy the Heartless – that's his big master plan."

"Xemnas?"

Axel jerked a finger towards where Xehanort had been. "The guy you just saw. He's their leader. Got it memorized? X-E-M-N-A-S."

"Organization XIII wants to get rid of the Heartless?"

Axel chuckled. "Ma-an, you're slow. Every Heartless slain with that Keyblade releases a captive heart. _That _is what the Organization is after."

"So what are those guys gonna do with those hearts?" Donald asked.

"_I'm _not telling!" Axel said rather immaturely.

"Tell us!"

"You...You're the one who kidnapped Kairi!" Sora said suddenly.

"Bingo. The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" he asked before swerving his gaze over to Kiera. "I know she sure does. Huh? Don't ya, Kiera?"

She glared at him, and he laughed. "Your dad was right! You _do _glare just like Grace! No wonder Demyx was so intimidated." She felt her stomach drop at the mention of Demyx; she'd nearly forgot what had happened earlier.

"Leave her alone. Where IS Kairi? Please...Just tell me!" Sora pleaded.

Axel sighed and threw his head back slightly. "Look...about Kairi...? I'm sorry."

A dark mass suddenly formed, causing pure hell on Kiera's shoulder now that there were _two _Organization members around. "Axel."

"Uh-oh!" the rogue member exclaimed, and with that he disappeared through a different mass.

Sora started to run after him, but the other Nobody put a hand out in front of him. "We'll ensure he recieves the maximum punishment."

"I don't _care _about any of that! Just let me into the Realm of Darkness, okay?"

"If it's Kairi you're worried about, don't. We're taking very good care of her."

"Take me to her!" Sora replied desperately.

"...Is she that important to you?"

"Yeah. More than anything!" Kiera sighed and hung her head. _Sora, don't be so stupid..._

"_Show me_ how important."

Sora hesitated, then got down on his hands and knees. Kiera's eyes widened. _He really is that stupid...! Sora, get up! _

"Please," Sora said- well, basically begged. Kiera felt her temper flare up. _If your stupid-ass begging gets you hurt or killed for letting your guard down, so help me I'll-_

"So, you really _do_ care for her. In that case...the answer is no."

Sora jumped up quicker than Kiera thought humanly possible. "You rotten...!"

"Are you angry? Do you _hate_ me? Then take that rage and direct it at the Heartless." He snapped his fingers, causing a half-circle's worth of Heartless to appear. "Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. And yet they know not the true power of what they hold. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free...until they weave together to make...Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes, we can truly, _finally _exist."

"What in the world do you think you're prattling on about?" They all turned to look at Maleficent, her yellow-green smoke still swirling around her. "Kingdom Hearts belongs to _me_! The heart of all kindoms, the heart of all that lives. A dominion fit to be called Kingdom Hearts must by MY dominion!"

"Maleficent, no! Not more Heartless!" Sora shouted as she made a move to summon some.

"I do not take orders from you!" she snapped.

"Fool..." the Organization member commented, snapping his fingers. White Heartless appeared, getting rid of Maleficent's Heartless in no time at all.

"Oh no!"

Maleficent suddenly formed a firey barrier between them and her as she let the Heartless grab onto her.

"While I keep these creatures at bay, _you _devise a way to vanquish these creatures – forever!"

"Maleficent-"

"Do not misunderstand me. I shall have my revenge on you yet."

"Maleficent..."

"Leave! Now!"

"I don't take orders from you!" Sora snapped.

"Sora, we should probably go," Kiera prompted as Maleficent grew closer and closer to the ground.

"But...What about..."

"Now then. Where did we leave off?" He summoned even more Heartless, making Kiera sigh exasperatedly. Maleficent was gone.

"Which side are you guys on, anyway?" Sora asked the Heartless.

"The Heartless ally with whoever's the strongest." Sora attacked with his Keyblade, and sure enough, a heart flew out of it. "Yes, Sora! Extract more hearts," he said in a tone that was rather greedy before disappearing.

"No! The hearts!" Sora cried out in dismay, noticing the two hearts flying up into the sky. They tried defending themselves against the Heartless, Sora trying to do so without killing them with the Keyblade.

"Maybe everything we've done...Maybe it was all for nothing. What am I supposed to do if I can't use the Keyblade?"

"Sora, please don't say that," Kiera shouted. She wasn't about to admit that she was kidnapped and brought to Twilight Town for absolutely _nothing_- fuck THAT!

"Inbeciles! You can't be trusted to do anything!" Maleficent suddenly shouted.

"Huh?"

They were surrounded by white light, and then they were somewhere dark.

* * *

"What the-..." An Organization member was at the other end of the room, holding a white box.

"Who's there?"

He disappeared, leaving the box behind. Donald was the first to get to it, followed by Sora, and then Goofy, who was supporting some of Kiera's weight as he helped her walk. "Thanks, Goofy, but I'm fine."

"You sure don't _look _fine."

She would've protested more, but knew that was a waste of time, and just nodded appreciatively instead. "What is it?" Donald wondered, referring to the box.

"Are ya sure you wanna open...that?" Goofy asked as Donald opened it halfway through his rhetorical question. Donald held up a picture, handing it to Sora. Kiera leaned over to look at it as well. "Gawrsh, it's the gang from Twilight Town. There's Hayner, Pence, Olette...and, uh, um..."

Kiera's brows furrowed. _R...Ro...Ronald? No...it's, um..._

"Roxas," Sora finished for Goofy, making Kiera nod. _Yeah, that's it! Roxas! ...Wait...How the hell'd I know **that**?_

"You know him?" Donald asked.

"No. The name just popped into my head...This is Roxas."

They all noticed with sweatdrops that Donald now had ice cream, and he moved to lick it. "Are you sure you wanna eat...that?" Goofy asked, finishing his sentence with another sweatdrop as the duck licked it anyway.

"Salty...no, sweet!" he exclaimed happily. Suddenly, the ice cream lifted itself up, and Kiera sweatdropped._ The ice cream...is the key item...seriously?_

They were suddenly back on the ship, and Sora was the first to speak. "I guess sometimes...help comes in the most unexpected places."

"A photo and some ice cream? Hmm. Wonder if they're some sorta clue? And who woulda left 'em for us, anyway?"

"Riku?"

"Ya think?"

Sora shrugged. "Just this feeling I've got." _I'm beginning to trust his "feelings" more and more._

"Look! We're almost there!" Donald exclaimed, pointing outside the Gummi's front windows.

"Hey, what if the Heartless are back? I can't use my Keyblade to fight 'em, that'll only _help _the Organization."

"But Sora, I think ya _have _to use it. If we don't fight 'em, the Heartless'll keep on hurtin' folks."

He sighed and nodded. "I guess you're right..." Kiera edged out of the room, heading for the bathroom.

* * *

Amidst all the action, she'd forgotten to change her tampon. And DUE to all the action, she'd leaked right through her pads. She sighed and folded up her pants, attempting to summon some underwear. But she found she couldn't. Kiera paled, trying again. "...Wh-What?"

She ran both hands through her hair in exhausted disbelief. There was no way this was happening. "Can I not catch a goddamn _break_?" she demanded to know, kicking the wall dejectedly. She stubbed her toe because of it, and sighed heavily to herself.

"Now what? Do I stay in here the whole day? ...And miss the action? Leave the others hanging? No way. No way in hell. All I have to do is drink some water and rest for a while, that's all. Yeah," she thought out loud, having no choice but to put the bloody underwear back on. No way was she going without underwear on a ship full of males, no matter the circumstance.

Kiera wished her shirt was longer, but it wasn't, so she got a towel and wrapped it around her lower half, tying it tightly. Grabbing her pants and hugging them to her chest (bloody parts wrapped underneath, of course), she opened the door and walked as fast as possible to the room with the cots.

So of _course _she ended up nearly running into Sora, who was heading in the opposite direction. "Whoa!"

"Sorry," she muttered, looking at the ground. _He has an uncanny way of showing up at the worst possible times...Dammit._

He waved her off. "No big deal, you just scared me. ...Hey, what's with the towel?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I just...took a shower."

"But your hair's dry, and you still have your shirt on..." he said slowly.

"Did I say shower? I meant bath," she lied lamely.

He didn't even bother pointing out how lame that was, and bent down at an odd angle in an attempt to see her face. She promptly lowered her gaze even more, if that was possible. "Are you alright? You don't sound like yourself..." Kiera glanced up at him to try and at least _look _like she was alright, but she couldn't do it. Her throat closed up, and her lower lip trembled.

"...You're _not _alright," Sora stated, standing normally now. She shook her head quickly, the lump in her throat returning again. Before she could make herself care about how idiotic it was, she let her head fall against his chest.

"Kiera, what's wrong?" he asked with even more concern than before as she started sobbing pathetically.

"I don't even really know," she managed to get out. "I think it's everything- Demyx, my dad, what he wants me to do...and I...I can't summon anything, and I really really _really _need to, and you said all we did was for nothing, which means I was _kidnapped_ for nothing, and I'm homesick, and...and...I feel like _crap _in general," she whimpered.

Sora hesitated. "...How did you know that?"

"Know what?"

"What I was thinking. About all we did being for nothing."

"...You were _thinking _that?" she asked, sniffling.

"Yeah."

She shook her head stiffly. "I dunno, I just heard you. ...Sora?"

"Huh?"

"You meant that? When you said I belonged here?"

"...Well, yeah. You do."

"But then...Why do I feel so terrible about it? Why's my dad wanting me to- ...Why is this happening?" she asked miserably, her hands finding their way to his back and balling his jacket into her fists as she started crying again. Her pants had fallen to the floor and were now by her feet, to the right.

He wrapped his arms around her, patting her back. "Hey, it's alright. You're just a little homesick is all, it's-"

"No, you don't get it! It's not just that! The longer I stay here, the worse things get! So _what _if I can summon things and help you out? I'm supposed to fucking _ki_- ...I...I can't do this, okay? I just can't. Demyx was right. I'm...I'm gonna end up at the Organization, because they need me. They need me, and they're gonna make sure they get me one way or another. It'd be easier if I just _let _them. Wouldn't it? Less people would get hurt that way...right?"

He didn't answer for what seemed like hours, but it was probably only about a minute. "...It'd hurt _me_."

"I'm gonna hurt _you _either way. I'd rather it not be fatal, if that's alright with you!"

"Wait, what? What makes you think you'll hurt me, huh?"

Kiera paled even worse than she already had, her grip tightening even more. "...Nothing. Nevermind. Just...never mind what I said. Can you...stay here for a second?" she asked with a sniffle. Her eyes were red, she could tell by the way they were stinging.

"...Of course I can. You're just having a bit of a breakdown, that's all."

Kiera sighed heavily. "...Yeah. Yeah, you're probably right." _How am I supposed to tell him what I have to do...? I wish I didn't have to, I wish I could say I wouldn't even **think **about killing him, but...I'm not like him and his friends. I'm not a die-hard good person. I can be evil, too. And Dad...**Dad **wants me to. Dad loves me, doesn't he? So...maybe it'd be for the best, but...killing Sora...it almost feels like doing that...would kill me, too. _That thought scared her, and she was crying all over again before she could stop herself.

Kiera hoped with all her heart- good and bad parts of it- that all these conflicting thoughts and emotions were all brought on by the fighting she'd had to do while on the worst stage of her period.

_Please let that be it...Please. _


	27. Land of Dragons: Take Two! Wait, RIKU?

****

Back again! Sorry for taking a while. I was gonna update this week, but I had choir stuff going on AND exam prep since my semester exams are next week. They count as 20% of our semester grade! Does that not suck or WHAT! D:

**Especially if you're deathly allergic to studying, like me. -_-+**

**Oh, and my birthday was this past Thursday, so I was busy with that too ^^.**

**Well, anyway. It's done now, and that's what counts right? So read, review, review some more, and enjoy! :D**

* * *

She cried for such a long time, Sora had to wonder if she had any tears left. On top of that, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep standing; he could tell because she was dead quiet and leaning heavily on him.

"...Kiera?"

No answer.

Sora sighed and bent his knees slightly, sliding his arm under her legs and picking her up. She whimpered a little, but other than that she was quiet. It wasn't often, if ever, that Kiera looked even remotely as upset as she had today. He didn't really understand why Demyx dying affected her as much as it did, just like he didn't have any clue what gave her the idea that she was gonna hurt him so terribly.

"She mentioned her dad, and...but her dad, he's dead...isn't he? But then Demyx mentioned her dad...and so did she...and they both mentioned him wanting her to do something difficult...And now she's saying she's gonna cause me lethal harm if she doesn't leave...but then she...and then...yet at the same time...but then he said...and...and...Argh, I don't understand!" he exclaimed in frustration. He figured she wouldn't wake up, she was too heavy a sleeper for that.

This whole thing didn't make much sense. Then again, neither did _she _half the time. He laid her down on one of the cots gently, and after brushing some damp hair out of her face, he sighed and left.

He headed towards the command center of the ship, nearly tripping on her discarded pants along the way and kicking them halfheartedly to the side. "SORA!"

"SHHHH!" he hissed as he ran in there, waving both hands in a "lower your voices!" kind of way. "She's asleep!"

Goofy laughed anxiously, and Donald simply sweatdropped. "Then by all means...we don't wanna have to deal with her cootie infection any more than necessary."

Sora's temple throbbed. "You're still calling it that then, huh?"

Goofy cleared his throat. "Well, anyways, we made it! We're here."

"Where's here?"

"Land of the Dragons."

"Again?" Sora wondered, but shook his head and followed them out nonetheless. They walked out onto the ruined village they had been in last time, looking around curiously.

"I wonder how everyone's doin'," Goofy wondered out loud.

"Look!" Donald said suddenly, pointing straight ahead. They saw an Organization member, and he ran off when he saw them. Sora started after him. "Wait!"

"Sora!" Mulan called out, making them turn around.

"Mulan, hey. No time to talk. We gotta catch that guy!"

She straightened, walking slowly in front of them and looking towards where the Member had run off. "I'm following him, too!"

"Then let's go!" Donald replied. And they were off.

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE****, FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER****...**_

Kiera squeezed her eyes shut tightly before slowly opening them. Her head was killing her. If only she could summon a _pill _for that.

She didn't remember falling asleep, unless.

Kiera flushed slightly; she'd fallen asleep on him? Great. She wondered how she got into the cot, then decided either way it didn't matter. Swinging her legs over the bed, she felt a sickening amount of liquid slosh with her movements in her underwear. She groaned, wishing more than ever that she could summon things.

As she headed for the bathroom to clean up a little, she nearly tripped over something small. Temple throbbing, Kiera looked down to see what DARED get in her way to see...a pill?

_Did I do that earlier without realizing...?_

Kiera felt a glimmer of hope, and squeezed her eyes shut while holding her hands out palms-up. "Pants...pants...PAAAANTS!"

She felt cloth against her hands, and squealed with joy.

"UNDIES!"

A pair of bright purple boxer shorts with sushi rolls all over them appeared on top of the shorts, and she said hopefully, "Taaaampooooons? Paaaaads?"

A whole box of Tampax Pearl and a random brand of pads appeared on top of the stack, and she cried with joy, running to the bathroom. "YESYESYESYESYESYES!"

After changing and cleaning up, Kiera washed her hands and face before looking at her reflection for the first time in a long time. Her hair had grown a lot longer, past her shoulders and trailing to her back. She didn't like it; it made the color duller _and _she had split ends.

She'd have to figure out if it was possible to summon herself some hair cutting and styling skills. Man, that'd be epic. She shook her head at herself and summoned a hair tie, pulling the mess up into a really lazy ponytail and leaving her bangs down to frame her face. It didn't look half bad, actually.

"Hey, Sora, I can make your life a living hell just like normal now!" she called out cheerfully.

No answer. Her temple throbbed. "Since when does he _not _reply to something like that?" she wondered.

"Donald? Goofy?" she called out, looking around. The whole ship was empty. Her temple throbbed even more menacingly, stomping off the ship with her fists clenched. "Those...little...BRATS!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE****...**_

They ended up on top of the mountain, alone. Mulan looked around like they did. "Looks like he got away."

"How come you're after somebody from Organization XIII?"

"What's that?"

"The guy in black," Sora replied.

"One of the bad guys!" Donald added.

Mulan's face grew ominous. "I _knew _it! There's a rumor in the Imperial City about a spy in black, lurking in the mountains. I've been up here tracking him, but when you showed up, I lost him," she explained while looking around suspiciously for any sight of the Organization Member.

Sora drooped a little, and Goofy hung his head ashamedly. "Sorry!" he said earnestly.

Mulan smiled. "Don't apologize. But I do wonder where he went," she said thoughtfully, looking around again. Her gaze stayed on a nearby slope of the mountain, squinting a little. The others looked as well to see a swarm of Heartless bee-like things approaching just like last time.

Donald drooped, slumping his shoulders until his hands nearly touched the snow. "Again?"

"Okay, first thing's fiirst!" Sora exclaimed as they ran off to fight the Heartless. He was about to join them but hesitated, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end suddenly. He turned around to see the Organization guy behind him.

Just standing there.

"Hey! You! Quit sneaking around!" Sora exclaimed, holding up his Keyblade threateningly.

He pointed behind him, and Sora turned around, attacking the Heartless just in time. Then it was time to go against the mysterious man.

They were going at it heavy in no time, Sora doing all kinds of aerial flips and such in mid-air. Sora could tell he had improved, which would explain why Heartless were often so easy to defeat lately.

The only problem was that this guy was pretty damn strong. And with him using the Heartless to keep Sora occupied so he could recover from the major blows, Sora was glad when he finally defeated him.

The man didn't die, like Demyx had. Instead, he used a simple gesture that made Sora's pulse pound.

It had been unmistakable.

The guy ran off, and Sora followed him before realizing it was a waste of time. He felt kind of lightheaded. "No...that guy... Why...would he?" Sora stretched out a hand before letting it limply fall to his side. "...Riku?"

"You found him, then?" Kiera asked excitedly, making him jump so bad it made HER jump.

"...What? What're you talking about?"

She looked at him strangely. "Well, you just said 'Riku,' so I assumed you found him."

He shook his head quickly. Too quickly. "N-No, I just...was thinking out loud about...something."

She was giving him that look of hers. That one when she was thinking about something and the answer was right there in front of her, but she just couldn't understand it.

"Wait, why are you HERE in the first place?" he asked suddenly, grateful for his own change of subject.

Kiera's expression turned angry in a matter of seconds, which made him feel even more relieved. "Because you jerkfaces LEFT ME THERE!"

"You were _asleep_!"

"You coulda woke me up!"

"But then you'd yell at me and be all...all..." Kiera sweatdropped as he then proceeded to imitate what looked like Godzilla. She then laughed so hard she fell on her ass, and he had to admit, it was nice to hear her laugh again after all that crying.

"Are you two okay?"

"Did you get 'im?" Goofy added to Donald's question.

Kiera nodded, not being able to talk while still laughing. Mulan helped her up, starting to laugh too at how tickled the younger girl was.

"He's gone," Sora replied.

"What? YOU LOST HIM?" Donald exclaimed with an angry quack.

"Anyway...what now?"

"I think that we better get rid of all the Heartless first."

They all nodded, and suddenly the ground shook. "What was that? ...C'mon, we better get off the mountain," Mulan commented.

Kiera finally stopped laughing, coughing and summoning a jacket with hamburgers, french fries, and dinosaurs all over it. She'd gotten it from Hot Topic months ago. "Alright, sounds good to me!"

She followed them, but ended up lingering behind as Sora looked around, his back to her. "...Sora?"

He jumped again, glancing back at her. Hands in her pockets, she walked to stand beside him. "You seem more outta it then I do. Which is sayin' something, since I _just _woke up. ...That Organization guy? ...Was that...was..." she trailed off, not sure how to word her question.

Before any more could be said, snow flew out like a bomb from a nearby piece of mountain, and out soared some Chinese-art-looking creature that flew in the direction Sora had been looking.

"It's heading for the city! We have to warn Shang!" Mulan exclaimed. Kiera sighed, glad she had taken a pill and had tampons galore stuffed in her shorts pockets. "Well then, let's go."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

Kiera was surprised she was doing so well at keeping up with the others after how exhausted the Battle of 1000 Heartless had left her. She guessed that a little bit of sleep was enough after all. After being around Sora and Company so long, she'd grown used to being ready for action all the time.

They finally arrived on Palace Grounds, and after looking around, Sora made a weird noise. "Huh? Everything's fine."

Kiera shook her head. "I dunno...it's too quiet around here."

"Well, now..." said a familiar voice. The three funny guys from the Mulan movie whose names escaped her at the moment walked up. "Look who decided to show up."

"What? Is that a problem?" Donald snapped.

"Nah!"

"We're just glad you're not in black cloaks."

"WHAT? YOU SAW HIM?" Kiera and Mulan shouted.

"Yeah – he's in the Palace." Mulan ran ahead, and the others followed. They were soon blocked by a huge samurai Heartless. He was soon joined by a line of demented-fireplace-looking Heartless, and Kiera sighed heavily.

"These guys are _so _annoying!" she growled, summoning her iPod and putting it on her playlist of Mindless Self Indulgence songs. "IT'S ON!" she shouted, summoning a crossbow with razor-sharp shishkabobs as ammo.

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

Mulan had the honors of killing the last one, while Kiera danced around happily. "It must be your face! Or it's your booo-dyyy. If it ain't your body then it MUST be your FACE!" she belted out, laughing uncontrollably, making Sora sweatdrop heavily.

"...Uh...let's get to the Palace!" Mulan commanded, trying to ignore Kiera's singing.

They all ran to the Palace doors, the three boys banging on them. "OPEN UP!"

Kiera danced around some more before skipping over to a pillar. "HEY! This reminds me of that part in the movie where you use a sash or something to crawl up this -" she gasped suddenly, a lightbulb appearing over her head. _Hehehe, I can't believe I haven't summoned that for dramatic effect sooner!_ "...GUUUUYSSS! I GOT AN IDEA!"

Kiera summoned some sashes for all of them, and they eyed her as if she were insane. "Observe," she said simply as she ran it behind the pillar, pulling it tight in her hands before using it to climb up the pillar. "LET'S DO THIS!" she shouted happily.

Everyone sweatdropped, but Sora sighed and was the first to follow her lead anyway. After Mulan nearly fell off at first, they resumed without any other hitches.

* * *

They made it to the Antechamber before seeing an Organization Member. Mulan stretched out a hand towards him. "Wait!"

He stopped, cringing as he realized he'd been busted, before slowly turning around. Sora, Donald, and Goofy had their weapons at the ready. Kiera was dancing (sort of) in place, mainly just moving her hips and bouncing occasionally, totally in her own little world.

"Ohhh yeaaah, ALRIGHT! Ohhh yeaaah, ALRIGHT! I wanna ma-" Sora interrupted her singing by taking the earphones out of her ears, and she made a weird noise of protest as he pulled on the cord and made her iPod fly out of her shirt. "HEY!"

"Welcome back to reality," Donald said with a quack of stifled laughter at the murderous expression on her face. Then Sora seemed to remember there was a member of Organization XIII in front of them, and turned serious as he stuffed her iPod in his pocket.

He walked towards him a little, looking kind of...hopeful. "Riku?" he asked hesitantly, making Donald and Goofy gasp and look at each other. Kiera's eyes widened, but she couldn't say she was all that surprised. It had been written all over Sora's face when she asked him about it earlier.

The guy removed his hood, and she felt her pulse pounding just like Sora's must have been pounding at the moment.

When the hood fell down, Kiera really hoped that he _wasn't _the Riku Sora was talking about; he was pretty creepy-looking. Like some kind of pirate, what with the eye patch and scar. He just chuckled. "No. Never heard of him!"

Suddenly, four purple-ish Heartless appeared, and the Random Pirate Member had already ran off out of their reach. So they had no choice but to forget him for the moment and focus on the Heartless. Kiera defeated them as quickly as possible, wanting her iPod back. Listening to "Get It Up" always made things better with its funny lyrics.

"Guess it _wasn't _Riku," Donald commented.

"Sorry, Sora," Goofy added. Sora DID look pretty disappointed. At first Kiera was confused, figuring he'd be happy to know his friend wasn't one of the bad guys.

Then she realized that knowing he was bad would also mean knowing he was still _alive_, and that was something _none _of them knew yet. She felt a pang in her chest, and had the urge to make him feel better somehow, but shook her head quickly, pushing the thoughts away.

Mulan looked rather worried, looking towards the doors. "I can't stay. I'm worried about Shang."

"Oh! Right!" Sora exclaimed. They ran towards the doors the Pirate Guy had been standing in front of, opening them to see The Emperor on his throne and Shang to his right.

"Your Excellency! Shang! Something terrible has happened! We saw a huge monster fly out of the mountains and into the city!" Mulan explained urgently.

"Ahhh, so it is as the young man said. Isn't that right, Captain?"

Shang nodded. "Y-Yes, Your Excellency. You see, a young stranger visited us not long ago."

"The Captain fought the visitor, but was quickly defeated," Emperor added matter-of-factly. Kiera coughed to hide her snort of a laugh that automatically came out. Sora looked at her, and she held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry, Southern, can't help my mannerisms. Snorting a laugh at funny things is what I do!"

Shang turned towards The Emperor, head hanging ever so slightly. They were obviously ignoring Kiera and Sora, just like everyone else. "To my dishonor."

The Emperor ignored that statement. "It seems that young man was the one in black I have heard whispers about."

"Did he mention the name Riku?" Sora asked. Kiera wished he'd stop sounding so hopeful; it wasn't all that great to keep hearing him sound momentarily _crushed _afterward almost all the time.

"He didn't offer his name. He was rather rude," Emperor replied.

"Rude? Then it WAS Riku!" Sora shouted excitedly. Kiera bit her lip, feeling a glimmer of hope as well but not wanting to smile and jinx them all.

"Riku's in the Organization?" Donald whispered to Goofy.

"Gawrsh..."

"But why would he come here?"

Sora struck a Thinking Pose, crossing his arms over his chest. The ground shook suddenly, and Mulan nodded before running for the doors. "I'll check outside."

"Mulan!" Shang called out, and she turned to look at him.

"Shang, guard the emperor! I'll be fine – with them!"

"Th-That's right!" Sora replied, making Kiera smirk.

"At least, she'll be fine around ME," she boasted.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Sora replied with an eyeroll.

"Indeed. That is true: We need not worry while you protect us."

"HURRY!" Donald exclaimed, and they all ran out.

When they reached the main doors, Mulan shoved them open to have the hue Chinese-art-looking monster snap at her. She backed up, and Sora put a hand on her shoulder. He nodded, and she nodded back as Sora and the others ran out to fight him. Kiera smirked triumphantly, having hid behind a pillar, and stood beside Mulan, nodding casually in a "'Sup" kind of way. "How's it goin'?"

Sora suddenly ran back in, grabbing Kiera by the wrist and dragging her out. LITERALLY; she had a trail of dust billowing up behind her and everything as her shoes ground against the ground. "Awww maaaaan!"

Mulan showed similar disappointment, trudging after them.

* * *

Once they got outside and stood beside Donald and Goofy, the monster swooped down, and she yanked Sora to the ground. "HIT THE DECK!" she shouted, and everyone else dropped just in time.

She then dove her hand into his shorts pocket, pulling out her iPod. "Thaaank YOU!" she said cheerfully, slipping it under her shirt and maneuvering the wires like she had them earlier so they wouldn't get in her way while fighting.

Before she could do much more, Sora grabbed her by her waist and threw her in the air. "THE HELL?" she shouted, spastically grabbing onto the creature's tail. He grabbed onto it as well, and the others followed suit.

He smirked at her. "Good, you did JUST as I was planning you to do."

She glared at him, summoning a club she saw a caveman using once in a movie. "Whatever."

They all pitched in in different ways; Sora and Mulan would use the wind thingies the creature was stirring up to hop onto his back and attack, while Kiera focused on summoning lots and lots of cable cord and prepared to wrap it around the creature's legs.

She decided the best place to wrap would be around the knees, where the joints were, and after some thought, she remembered the cool jet-skateboard Death the Kid used in Soul Eater.

She grinned to herself, summoning it. Hopefully Death the Kid hadn't been using it at the time. She laughed at that thought and wove in and out of the creature's legs, tying it up.

It squirmed, and Kiera just laughed maniacally. "MUAHAHAHA! YOUR ASS HAS JUST BEEN _OWNED_!"

But Kiera had forgotten one key thing; the creature could fly. "Ohhhh CRAAAAAAAP!" she screeched as it took her with her into the air, letting out Chinese paper lantern bombs onto Sora and the others.

After beating him with a club repeatedly, the creature finally fell back down. It kept getting back up periodically, though, and Kiera sighed heavily at her own total FAIL. "...Well...THIS sucks."

This time, she summoned enough cable cord to tie its tail. After convincing herself to channel her Inner Maka and fight in _spite _of her fear of how high up they were, she attached one of the cable hooks into the creature's skin. It howled, and she dove into the air, swinging herself around the tail a few times before attaching the other hook to its underbelly.

After another howl, she summoned another cable cord, and Mulan appeared below her. "NEED SOME HELP?" he shouted up to her.

"YES PLEASE!" she shouted back. Mulan jumped into the air, grabbing onto the cable cord. Kiera tossed her the one not currently attached to the creature. "Connect its tail to this one, then attach it to this cable here!" she explained, wiggling the one she was hanging onto for emphasis as to which one to connect it to.

She did so, and the creature was permanently grounded. Now that that was done, Donald was able to strike spells on the creature more accurately and Sora could get in more attacks.

Kiera decided she'd done more than enough and focused on dancing around instead. After it was defeated, it nearly crushed Mulan, and Shang had run out to protect her.

"Way to go!" Sora commented, but Kiera was pretty sure the two hadn't heard him at all; they were currently holding hands, Mulan's other palm on the left side of Shang's chest and his other arm on her upper arm.

Sora cleared his throat, and Kiera took an earphone out of her ear to waggle her eyebrows. "Bown-chika-wow-WOOOOWW!" They looked at her with sweatdrops, then jumped away from each other, Mulan clasping her hands together with an embarrassed smile and Shang rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

Suddenly, fireworks went off, and Kiera watched with wide eyes. "Whoooaaaa, those're so cool!" Sora grinned at how amazed she was, and Mulan cleared her throat. "I guess we should return to the Emperor now."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"Once again, you have served China well. It would please me to reward you. What is it that you wish?" The Emperor asked, all of them standing in a line.

Donald rubbed his hands greedily, and Goofy's stomach rumbled. Kiera summoned him a handful of cupcakes, and he practically inhaled them.

Sora suddenly spoke, and since he was standing right next to her, it made her jump. "You say a guy in black came to see you. What did he say?"

"That is all you request?"

Donald, Goofy, and Kiera opened their mouths to protest, but Sora answered for them. "Yes." The other three drooped rather comically. "...DAMMIT," Kiera muttered, making Mulan snicker.

"Dragons have crossed our land and left a great web of paths. These dragons wield much power, and they are the source of many gifts to both man and nation."

Sora and Goofy nodded in understanding, making Kiera sweatdrop. The Emperor continued despite her strange expression. "But it would seem someone of evil intent disturbed one of our dragons, and transformed it into what you call a Heartless. It is my belief that this young man came to warn me of the danger. Then, I could alert and prepare my troops."

"Did you?" Sora asked.

He laughed. "I was about to, but he told me the situation had changed."

"He said three "wise guys" and a "redheaded spitfire" had arrived, and _they_ would take care of things," Shang added with a grin.

Donald and Sora laughed, and Kiera grinned smugly at the fact that she'd been mentioned by this Riku guy as well.

"That's _gotta_ be Riku!" Sora commented.

"But what's he doin' hangin' out with Organization XIII?" Goofy asked, him and Donald exchanging worried looks.

"No idea. But at least now I know that he's okay! That's good enough," Sora replied contentedly.

Kiera smiled at him and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's good!" Donald agreed.

"Now, Fa Mulan. Do you have a request?" The Emperor asked.

"I'd like Shang...I-I mean...well...The Captain..." she stuttered nervously.

"Yes, yes, my dear, what is it?"

"Could the Captain have a vacation, please?" she asked in a rush.

The Emperor chuckled with obvious amusement. "I hardly expected such humble requests." He stood, hands together and hidden by his long robe sleeves as he walked. "In this case, I'm afraid I must refuse. Captain Li's responsibility is to protect the Emperor. And _yet_, Mulan..."

"Yes," she replied firmly.

"Would you like to serve alongside him and protect me?"

"_What_?" she and Shang asked in unison.

"Two reeds together are stronger than one. But the choice is yours alone," he added, holding up a finger importantly.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Mulan and Shang looked warmly at each other, Shang's arm around her. Kiera took a double-take at Sora as he wiped his eyes. Was he _crying_?

Donald and Goofy went to him, and Goofy patted his back, but Sora shook his head like he was fine and angled away from them with a smile.

Kiera could feel his sadness, though, even if he wasn't tearing up anymore. It sucked being a Gatekeeper sometimes. She could feel only his strongest emotions, and they were usually either anger or sadness. Sometimes fear. Half the time, however, she couldn't do anything about them for fear of making him feel worse.

But she decided a small gesture was better than nothing, so as they left the Land of Dragons, Kiera brushed her hand against his ever so slightly and smiled at him. "Thank you. For...earlier. And, um...I'm glad Riku's okay."

That seemed to perk him up just a little, and she smiled to herself as she kept on walking towards her cot so she could take another quick nap.

After all, it was nice to not feel so useless.


	28. War of the Roses & Just Dance

**Wow! Two in one day? I know, right! But part of Beast's Castle Part II was on the same video as the end of Land of the Dragons Part II in the walkthrough I was watching ('Cause I HAVE TO watch a walkthrough to make sure I get the dialogue right xD), so I just went ahead and typed it up, and...well...EPICNESS TRANSPIRED, AS ALWAYS! :D**

**So I'm thinking you should really read and review, REVIEW MY EPICNESS! ...AND ENJOOOOY IT! 8D**

* * *

The next world they went to was Belle's Castle. Kiera was absolutely livid when she realize that THIS had been the world Sora made her skip when she'd been having back-to-back nightmares.

Unfortunately for him, she'd also happened to find out that he ate her supply of chocolate by accident, causing her to slip into blind rage.

He now had a black eye.

She was still laughing when they got there, and Donald and Goofy were trying not to snicker too loudly themselves. "Guys, it's not that funny!" Sora exclaimed, more than a little bit annoyed.

They then realized Beast was in front of them, pacing, and Kiera resisted the urge to glomp the character. He looked rather pissy.

"Hey there!" Sora called out.

"No Heartless and no Nobodies!" Donald observed, looking left and right.

"I think they're close, though...better watch out!" Goofy replied. The Beast made a "HUUUMMMaaarrgghh" kind of noise as a reply, making them all sweatdrop.

"What're you so mad about?" Donald asked carefully.

"Why are you here?" he asked. Kiera sweatdropped. "He's rather blunt..."

"The Nobodies' world has to be around here somewhere. We're looking for a way in," Sora explained.

"Hmph," was his articulate reply. Kiera leaned towards Sora to whisper, "Jeez, he's more pissy than us on our periods!"

Sora and Donald sweatdropped. "There's something _so _wrong about that statement..." they commented in unison.

Suddenly, Belle descended from the staircase in her yellow off-the-shoulder ballgown, and all their eyes widened. Kiera bounced in place excitedly. "Yay! I love this part!"

Beast turned to look at them solemnly, and she instantly shut up. Sora sweatdropped. "...I need to learn how to look at you like Beast does."

"Don't count on it having the same effect. Although you might get lucky and make me laugh so hard I die from lack of oxygen," she replied, making his temple throb.

"Tonight is very important," Beast informed them, every word sounding more important than the last. The two teens instantly shut up, nodding quickly.

Belle smiled at him, walking over to him. He bowed, she curtsied, and they entered the ballroom.

"Um, maybe we came at a bad time," Goofy commented.

Sora was currently striking his Hands Behind Head Pose, and Kiera was making sure her iPod was still in her pocket. "Well, there's only one way to find out," Donald replied.

He ran up the stairs, and Sora sighed. "Donald!" he called out, but they ended up running after him anyway.

* * *

"Now then, Mensieur, Mademoiselle. Please, enjoy the evening."

The door closed behind them louder than they liked, and Kiera cringed. Sora was striking his Pose again, and Goofy waved at Lumiere. He chuckled and added, "And of course, our honored guests are welcome, too."

Suddenly, Kiera's shoulder burned, and she paled. _No...Not now! I was looking forward to a good time...And Beast's spell being broken...!_

"A welcome indeed," a voice commented from the above balcony lining the room. Belle and Beast jumped, and he shielded her as she leaned into him.

"The Organization!" Sora exclaimed, looking at the cloaked figure.

"You four simply don't know when to quit," the Member said cooly.

"Oh yeah! We'll show ya," Donald quacked angrily.

"Get out!" Beast snarled, running towards the Member.

Belle clenched her fists. "Not tonight!"

He summoned some Heartless, and Beast slashed at them, successfully getting them to back up for a moment. "I've come to take something you hold very dear," the Organization Member informed him, holding his hand out towards them all.

Beast reared his head back and let out a long growl, and the Member seemed to take pleasure in it. "Yes, let your anger grow..." he said pleasantly before disappearing. Kiera sighed in relief as her shoulder's pain eased, but now there was the Heartless to tend to.

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

Kiera sighed and summoned an outhouse after Goofy defeated the last Heartless. She was in the middle of...well... "taking care" of her tampon when Sora suddenly shouted rather loudly, seemingly right next to the outhouse, "WHERE'S BELLE?".

She groaned in pain, having jumped hard and caused the tampon she was maneuvering to...yeah.

"God...DAMMIT, SORA, SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIIIIIIT! AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, SIT AGAIN! AND THEN SIT ONCE MORE!" she shouted angrily.

_**THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD.**_

She heard him groan weakly. "...Owww...my ass..."

"HOW DO YOU THINK _I _FEEL! DO YOU HAVE _ANY _IDEA WHAT YOU JUST MADE ME DO?"

"No, and I don't _want _to!"

"Oh, GOD, I think I'm bleeding! ...Wait, nevermind, I forgot. I'm on my period in the first place," she muttered to herself with an embarrassed laugh.

She emerged from the outhouse, making it disappear, and slowly made her way toward the others. Beast had been sweatdropping, just like Goofy and Donald still were, but then he seemed to remember what Sora had asked to make her hurt herself in the first place and started looking around.

"Belle?" Kiera called out, the pain in her lower half starting to finally subside. Stupid Sora.

"Over here!" she replied, coming back in from outside on the balcony. The enchanted servants were behind her.

"Whew, good, she's okay," Sora commented.

"That makes _one _of us women," Kiera muttered, making his temple throb.

"Guess Xaldin didn't take anything after all!"

Beast suddenly jerked upright and ran off. "What's wrong?" Sora wondered as Belle ran after him. "Belle?" Sora asked. "What's with them?" he asked again, and Kiera expected him to have a "WHAT'S GOING ONNNN?" freak-out any second.

Kiera gasped. "HIS ROSE!"

"What?" Sora asked, but she ran off anyway. They exchanged a look and ran after her to Beast's room.

* * *

When they got there, MANY Heartless later, Belle was there and Beast was pacing. Finally, he let out a monstrous roar, and Belle's eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

She walked over to him. "Please, calm down!"

"CALM DOWN? You just _had _to have a party, didn't you? Don't you see what's happened?"

"Hey. What's with you?" Sora asked.

"The rose...My rose..."

"What, that? ...He took it?" Sora asked.

"But surely, you can find another rose..." Belle said uncertainly. Kiera facepalmed, almost more pissed by Xaldin's actions than Beast was.

"MORONS! Don't you get it? If he doesn't have that rose, then when _you _finally admit you love him, it'll be too late and the curse won't be broken! There's a time limit, y'know! He must find his true love before the last petal falls from that rose, and WITHOUT THE ROSE HERE, IT RUINS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DISNEY MOVIES! FOREVEEERR!" she bellowed, pacing furiously. "Okay, okay, okay, OKAY! We need crossbows, and to do recon, which might call for some night vision goggles, and we'll need Chuck Norris possibly, and...and...WE NEED TO GET THAT DAMN ROSE BACK!" she shouted, practically hyperventilating.

They all sweatdropped. "...Gawrsh, I think she's more upset than Beast is," Goofy commented.

"It kind of worries me," Sora replied, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Belle...Sora...I want you to leave the castle. ...And take your upset friend with you." Their eyes widened, and Kiera stopped her pacing. "COME again?"

"Look at me. Look. This is what I am," he said quietly, his face angled away from them. "When you first got here, I tried to change. But I was only fooling myself. I can't be any different. I'll always be a beast. So, I should live like a beast." He slumped in defeat, and their eyes widened even further. "With no one, alone. Good-bye, Belle."

"You can't mean that..." Belle said, obviously upset by this. He gave her a quick sad look before turning away from them all.

"Aw, I think his mind's all made up," Goofy commented sadly.

"Yeah," Sora agreed in an equally sad tone.

Kiera rolled up her jacket sleeves very deliberately, making Sora pale. "Kiera, don't-"

"ALLOW ME TO PERSUADE HIM OTHERWISE," she said simply, stomping over to him. Beast waved her away, but she paid no heed.

"Beast, you listen and you listen good-"

"I don't want to hurt a friend of Sora's," he warned.

"I don't care. YOU, sir, are NOT letting Belle leave this castle! You can kick Sora and me out on our asses, I don't care. Well, I do, but it wouldn't make much of a difference because I'm NOT letting you give up."

"Go away."

"C'mon, you...you...COWARD! DON'T YOU GIVE UP ON THIS!" That struck a nerve in him, and he swung at her with a roar. Before anyone could intervene, Kiera had ducked away from his claws and flicked him right between the eyes with as much force as possible.

He howled, clutching his nose. She planted her hands on her hips, shaking her head at him. "Look atchya. Just LOOK at yourself! You wanna stay like this forever? Now look at Belle. She's heartbroken! Now look at me. I'm five foot two, BARELY, and I just injured you! Do you wanna stay like that for the rest of your life? HUH?"

"...No..."

"WELL THEN, Beast, LET US GET YOUR ROSE BACK! ...Okay?" she added brightly, making him sweatdrop. True to his character, he just snarled at her and turned away.

"I take that as a yes. I knew you'd see it my way," she said proudly, marching out of the room. She gave Belle a mock-salute. "We'll be back soon, Ma'am. Come along, Sora," she commanded.

He had no choice to follow. "MARCH!" she barked. Goofy and Donald laughed as Sora was forced to march like an idiot, and even Belle cracked a smile and giggled a little.

As they walked out, Belle having left in front of them and already down the other staircase, they saw Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, and Lumiere talking a few feet away.

"Now, now – no need to be sad," Mrs. Potts was saying to the other two objects.

Sora crossed his arms after being told by Kiera he could stop now "so I can eavesdrop".

"Once the rose is back safely, this will all be over," Mrs. Potts concluded.

"What's so special about one rose, anyway?" Sora asked.

Kiera's eyebrows shot up. "I already told you."

"I didn't understand it the way you put it," he said simply. Temple throbbing, she let Cogsworth explain.

"If the master can love and be loved in return, the spell will be broken. We'll all be human again."

"Yeah. You told us," Sora replied, making Kiera smack him upside the head.

"Ow!"

"BE POLITE!"

The objects sweatdropped, and Lumiere cleared his throat before continuing. "...Yes, but there is a time limit. He must find his true love before the last petal falls from that rose," he elaborated.

"Ah, but that is not all. Over time, caring for that rose has become a cherished part of the master's daily life," Cogsworth added.

"It's as though all his hopes and dreams are tied to that single bloom..." Mrs. Potts mused.

"Poor Beast! Then we _have _to get it back," Sora said determinedly, making Kiera's jaw drop rather comically.

"Are you kidding me? That's almost EXACTLY how I explained it to you!"

"But not _completely _like you explained it. You sounded more spastic, and they said it with real emotion and meaning. Plus, you were talking too fast," Donald observed, making her eye twitch.

Mrs. Potts sighed, looking rather worried about her master. "Please do. Find the rose, I mean."

"We can't do it without Beast, though. If it's that important to him, he has to do it himself."

Donald and Goofy nodded at Sora's words, while Kiera sweatdropped. "Since when did we establish _that _as a rule?"

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Damn Heartless...his castle honestly scares me with how dark it is and Heartless waiting to jump us all the time," Kiera muttered.

Sora cupped a hand over her mouth, and she made a weird noise of protest. "Stop talking," he said quietly, and she nodded obediently. Anything to get his hand off her mouth and make the tinglies retreat back to wherever they'd been hiding lately.

He walked over to Beast, who refused to look at him. "C'mon, you need to hear this. You used to be _fearless_. You would have given your _life _to save Belle. Don't you know what that meant for us? That gave us all courage. ...Hmph, maybe you should have kept some for yourself. I mean, are you really gonna throw all your happiness away? The rose is your only hope, isn't it? Well, it's the only hope for Cogsworth and the others, too! So don't throw away your only chance."

Kiera's eyes were wide at this point. Man, he was such a good speaker sometimes.

"Remember what it was like _before _Belle lived here?" Beast looked up at the ceiling at that one, as if seeing how gloomy it was for the first time.

"See? You can't give up. Not now."

"I know one thing."

"What?"

Beast turned around to look at them sharply. "This castle is mine. Xaldin will never be welcome here."

They took that as his way of saying "You're right, I'm an ass that was wallowing in self-pity, I'm SO coming with you now," so they just nodded in agreement.

Kiera made a thinking noise to herself, biting her lip. Maybe she should pay more attention to how Sora talks to people. She noticed that she sometimes talked too spastically and angrily for it to have much effect on those who weren't used to it. Sometimes not even on those who _were_.

She had finally figured out what made Sora so good with people, even with total strangers; his sincerity.

_**

* * *

**_

_**MANY ****HEARTLESS AND WHO-KNOWS-HOW-MANY MINUTES LATER...**_

She followed them and fought Heartless all the way to the entrance hall, and once they got there, Xaldin's voice greeted them.

"So, Beast...you came after all," he said calmly from a rather high platform above a fancy glass window.

Kiera sweatdropped. _What is it with him and high places?_

"You had me worried. I was afraid you had given up for good."

"What do you guys really want?" Sora asked with more than a little hostility, fists clenched.

"...Kingdom Hearts." He took off his hood, and the motion made Kiera's shoulder throb twice with more intensity before settling back to the usual burning pain. "When Kingdom Hearts is ours, we can exist fully and completely. So you see, Beast – that's why we need your Heartless AND your Nobody!" he exclaimed, pointing at him with his free hand.

The rose was in the other.

Xaldin made Nobodies appear, and Kiera tried her best to push her shoulder's pain to the back of her mind so she wouldn't get distracted.

These Nobodies were rather annoying; they had scythes, and just when Kiera was about to gain the upper hand, they'd transform into the single scythe and try to slash her. But they were finally defeated, and Xaldin landed slowly and gracefully on the ground before heading through the door nearest him.

So of course they ran after him. It led them outside, and they looked around cautiously. "Huh?" Goofy said thoughtfully, looking up at a balcony. If Kiera squinted and tilted her head a certain way, she could see Belle with her arms and head resting on the railing.

She looked rather depressed. She was probably worried about Beast. They waved to get her attention, and she smiled at them, but then she went ahead and ducked out of their view.

"The hell's she doing?" Kiera wondered. Her question was soon answered as Belle held out the rose happily.

"Look what I found! It's the rose!" she said cheerfully.

Kiera shook her head. "Oh no...this is SO a trap."

"What makes you say that?" Sora asked, obviously not wanting to hear more bad news.

She sighed. "My shoulder tells me so..." Sure enough, Xaldin covered Belle's mouth, making her squeal and squirm.

"Belle!" Beast exclaimed, snarling and running towards the balcony. Xaldin grabbed Belle and leapt off the balcony, somehow getting enough air to land on the other side of the wall outside Beast's castle.

They ran after them, coming to a stop at about the middle of the bridge. He had Belle in his grasp, as well as the rose. "You! Get out of my castle, now!" Beast growled.

"With pleasure, but I'd rather travel light...What shall I leave behind? Belle? Or the rose?" Beast growled again, shouting "Belle!" before running towards her.

Belle took this opportunity to elbow Xaldin, grab the rose, and run past them. "Good one, Belle!" Sora commented.

Kiera laughed. "Dude, Xaldin got totally OWNED!"

Beast clawed for him, but he suddenly disappeared, landing gracefully behind Kiera. She whirled around quickly, and he smiled. "'Owned', you say? I believe it was you who 'owned' _Demyx_, was it not? What a huge leap for you: from hitting him with a cauldron to _killing _the poor young man. How wretched of you, if I do say so myself. Which I _did_, if you were listening." As he had been talking, cyclones had formed around him, and they disappeared as a lot of swords appeared around him. A wind was still whipping around him from some unknown source, though.

Kiera summoned a bow with random weapons for arrows and Moon Shoes, eyes flashing angrily. "Don't you _dare _talk like you know what happened, 'cause you don't! I DIDN'T KILL _ANYONE_!" she shouted, using the shoes to jump in the air.

She figured that doing so would make it easier to use the wind to her advantage, and she was right.

While Sora and the others attacked him from the ground, she attacked from the air, shooting weapon after weapon at him. Forks, Sharpies, hush puppies, all with pretty good accuracy and frightening speed to back them up.

After what seemed like forever and was probably...FOREVER...his weapons turned silver and trailed into the sky like pillars as Xaldin hunched over, panting.

Kiera summoned back her regular shoes, making the Moon Shoes disappear. She watched as he disappeared along with his weapons (with a rather odd death cry, in her opinion), and she felt...not exactly glad, but she didn't feel any remorse like with Demyx's death.

"Good riddance," she muttered, nodding appreciatively at Donald as he used his magic to heal her.

One of his last attacks involved cutting her quite a few times, and it hadn't been pleasant, but now the pain of both that attack and the pain in her shoulder from his presence were totally gone.

Now, they all stood in the courtyard-like area by the front door of the castle, watching Belle and Beast. She handed the rose in its glass case over to him. "Here. It's yours again."

"Thank you," he muttered awkwardly, taking it.

She sighed. "I know. You want me to leave the castle."

He looked really sad, and Kiera felt sorry for him. "What matters is...you weren't hurt by Xaldin. You're safe."

They all perked up with hope as he continued. "And...I'm very grateful to you...for bringing the rose back to me. Thank you," he said slowly as he set the rose on the ground carefully.

She smiled, putting a hand to her mouth briefly as she chuckled. "It's the least I could do. You've been good to me. And you didn't have to be."

"Listen, Belle..."

"Yes?"

"Say it," Sora urged. Kiera nodded, smiling. "Just man up and think of it like ripping off a band-aid!"

"Go on!" Lumiere added.

Donald bounced excitedly. "Come on!" he cheered.

"You can do it!" Mrs. Potts cheered.

"We have confidence," Cogsworth told him.

Goofy chuckled. "Don't be bashful, now."

He looked like he'd been embarrassed. "Belle, I'd like you to stay...With me...Please?"

_That's so sweet! The only thing that could make it better would be if he had done what I THOUGHT he was gonna do, and just admit he loves her. Oh well, small progress is still progress._

Belle smiled and held out her hand. He took it, and just like that, they started to dance. "I will."

"Maestro, music!" Lumiere called out.

Music started playing, and Kiera would forever wonder where the hell it came from. Sora struck his infamous Hands Behind Head Pose yet again. "Hey, did you see the look on Belle's face when she grabbed that rose from Xaldin?" he commented suddenly. Kiera laughed, as did the other two.

"Yep, she sure was havin' fun, all right," Goofy replied.

"She _is _rather unique, isn't she?" Lumiere asked everyone.

"Always ready for a little adventure," Mrs. Potts agreed.

"The two of them _do _seem made for each other," Cogsworth admitted with a sigh and smile.

"Yeah, they sure do!" Sora agreed as they continued dancing. He noticed Kiera tapping her foot in time with the music, and he held his hand out in front of her. She blinked, snapped out of her zoneage. "...What."

"C'mon."

"C'mon what? I haven't made any bets with you recently, I owe you absolutely nothing!" she declared, hands on her hips defiantly. Sora rolled his eyes and grabbed one of her hands, pulling her with him.

"Sora, what're you-"

"No, you don't owe ME, but I guess I owe YOU," he replied as she continued to stare at him as if he were clinically insane. They were now standing like two idiots towards the center of the courtyard with one of her hands in his and the other at her side. _And he still has that stupid grin on his face!_

"Owe me? For what?"

"For whatever the hell I did to you when you were in that outhouse of yours that was so terrible."

She flushed at the very _mention _of the incident, which just made his grin grow even more. She shook her head. "No, I'm good with a cookie or something. I-I'm not good with songs like this."

"Oh, c'mon. ...What, have you never danced with someone before?"

"Can't say I have. It's not really _dancing _if you think about it, it's just moving your feet back and forth with someone else. Dancing by yourself's more fun. You can go crazier that way," she said matter-of-factly.

Sora just grinned even more, putting a hand on her waist. "You can with someone else too, if you're having enough fun with it. C'mon, I'll lead."

After a few moments, during which he was moving her around without her even realizing it, she finally sighed in defeat and let herself follow his lead, putting her other hand on his shoulder. "Fine, fine, FINE."

* * *

Goofy and Donald watched as Kiera loosened up more and more, and soon the two were laughing their way around the improvised dance floor. Belle and Beast barely even noticed them. They were in their own little world, just like Sora and Kiera were.

Goofy looked over at Jiminy, who was sitting on the wall and taking notes. Then he looked at Donald. "Say, uh, Donald?"

"Yeah, Goofy?"

"Didya bring that camera of yours?"

He quacked suddenly and dove a feathered hand into his pockets. "Good job, Goofy! I forgot about that!" Donald loaded the film and waited for them to be as still as possible. Sora twirled her out, and she laughed as she twirled back to him, and Donald snapped the picture right as he dipped her.

"Not so bad, huh?" he was saying.

She huffed in defeat, turing just a tad bit pink in the cheeks. "...No..."

He started innocently humming something, and she grinned like mad, now upright. "Was this over befoooore..." she sang lightly.

"Before it ever bega-an?" he sang back, and with an exchanged laugh they started dancing to their own beat.

"'I'm here for you,' she said,"

"'And we can stay for a while, my boyfriend's gone...'"

"'We can just pretend'. Lips that need no introduction, now who's the greater sin?"

"Your drab eyes seem to invite. Tell me, darling: where do we begiiiin?"

"WAS THIS OVER BEFOOORE?"

"BEFORE IT EVER BEGA-AN?"

"YOUR KISS, YOUR CALLS, YOUR CRUTCH-"

"LIKE THE DEVIL'S GOT YOUR HANDS! THIS WAS OVER BEFOOOORE..."

"BEFORE IT EVER BEGA-AN! YOUR LIPS, YOUR LIES, YOUR LUST-"

"LIKE THE DEVIL'S IN YOUR HAAAANDS!" they sang back and forth, dancing all around.

"Say, Donald," Goofy said suddenly.

"Yeah."

"I think this is the happiest I've seen those two in a while," he mused as they continued singing and laughing while dancing around.

Cogsworth looked at Donald and Goofy, who were grinning like crazy. "Don't you four need to be going somewhere?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged a look as the teens laughed even harder when Kiera stepped on his foot, causing him to mess up the words. The two Disney characters smiled and shook their heads, watching them try to mess each other's parts of the song up by stepping on their feet.

"Naaahhh, it can wait. But them being crazy kids havin' a good time...that can't."


	29. Ahoy, Maties! Again!

**Back again! I'm suddenly a fountain of KH2 Chapps lately, I have no idea why!**

**Thanks so much for the new alerts, faves, and the reviews. Glad I'm pleasing yall so much!**

**So read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

Almost as soon as they got back on the ship, Chip started shouting. "Hey, guys! I'm picking up a strange reading!"

"Are you sure? Lemme see!" his brother replied.

Kiera sighed heavily, plopping onto the floor and laying on her back. "Too...tired...SORA, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"WHAT?" he protested, making crumbs from the cookie he was eating fly everywhere. Donald and Goofy sweatdropped as the two continued to argue over it.

"Look – it's all cloudy and kinda fuzzy..."

"It's probably a glitch," Dale assured Chip.

"I dunno..." Chip said uncertainly.

"IT WAS JUST A GLITCH," Kiera stated, and everyone jumped. Sora didn't seem pleased with this interruption in their fight, but the look she was giving everyone made them all shiver.

"...J-Just a glitch!" everyone agreed nervously, even Sora.

Of course, whether that had been a glitch or not, they still arrived in their next destination much sooner than Kiera would like. The only thing that made it better was that it was the Pirates of the Carribean world.

She perked up real fast, and Sora rolled his eyes. "What're you gonna do if your beloved Jack Sparrow isn't _here_?"

"I'll _probably_ take it out on you," she replied simply. He drooped.

"Somehow, I _knew_ you'd say that..."

They heard a noise, and looked around. "That's coming from the port," Goofy observed.

"Let's check it out," Sora suggested.

"Agreed," Kiera said cheerfully. It wasn't long until they ran into none other than... "JACK!" Sora and Kiera exclaimed at the same time. Sora sounded surprised. Kiera sounded downright giddy.

"Kiera! ...Z...Zola! Some assistance!"

Sora's temple throbbed, and Kiera pointed a finger at him and laughed. "That's SORA, Donald, and Goofy!" he replied in annoyance, trying to smack Kiera's hand away from his face.

He wasn't succeeding. "Hahaha...I'm not touuuuuching youuuu!" she teased, waving her finger in little circles in his face.

"Will ye leave a mate to perish?" Jack asked him dramatically.

"Aye aye..." Sora said with an annoyed tone as if this happened every day. Kiera unwound her iPod, putting it back on Mindless Self Indulgence. This time she chose "Lights Out".

"Let's do this!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Punch your lights out, hit the pavement, that's what I call entertainment! Causin' problems, makes ya famous, ALL THAT VIOLENCE MAKES A STATEMENT! Blahblahblahblaaaaah...s-s-s-somethin'...well, baby I'm gonna make it all okaaay! Punch your lights out-"

"Those pirates were cursed. I thought we'd seen the last of the Curse of the Aztec Gold. What gives?" Sora asked Jack over Kiera's singing, turning to look at him.

Kiera cut herself off mid-chorus, turned off her iPod, and stowed it, interested herself as to why that was.

"Some scallywag must've got greedy. ...Oh, I see...You don't trust me, do you?"

They all nodded in agreement, even Kiera. Sora seemed surprised by that, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Likely a wise choice. I AM a pirate, mates."

"JACK! SORA!" a female voice shouted, running towards them. _Oh, duh, it's , you'd think I'd know better by now as to who the damsel in distress ALWAYS is...!_

"Elizabeth!" Sora greeted.

Kiera waved her hands at Elizabeth as if to say "What about ME?", and the older girl laughed. "Hello, Kiera."

"Finally!"

Jack turned away from Elizabeth, about to walk away before more trouble could come his way. "Jack, wait! I need your help. The cursed pirates have returned. Will had to find out why...so he went to Isla De Muerta – to check on the Aztec treasure. I fear something's happened to him. I need you to take me to him!"

"Aye, here it is. If you'll be wanting him rescued, best do it alone, lass."

"Alone? Really, Jack? Sail to the island and take on the cursed pirates?" Elizabeth asked him in disbelief.

"Well, if any lass could..."

"Are you sure he's in danger?" Sora asked.

"Not sure. He's just been gone too long. I wanted to come with him, but he insisted I stay here. I can't just sit and wait. I've got to know he's alright!"

"Lucky man..." Jack commented.

"Please, Jack. Take me to him!"

"Hold a moment. I see no profit in it for me."

"I shall reward you. Of course...you _do_ owe Will. He has saved your life before."

"Right. Shall we?" Jack asked. Kiera pumped her fist. "HELL YEAH! I _LOVE_ KILLING THOSE DEAD PIRATES!"

Everyone sweatdropped. Jack chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Ah, I must admit, I do admire your spunk, lass."

Sora's temple throbbed as she did that weird giggly thing again, and he huffed. "We're wasting time, y'know."

She stuck her tongue out at him in reply.

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS ****LATER...**_

"I still don't understand. If we've killed SO FRICKING MANY of these things, why are there infinitely many more every time?" Kiera demanded to know, smashing another ceramic plate into a Heartless' face.

Sora shrugged as the Heartless poofed away in a cloud of smoke. "People keep giving in to the darkness in their hearts, I guess."

"What?"

"That's how Heartless're made. People give in to the darkness. Don't you remember Merlin and Yen Sid saying that?"

Kiera shook her head, biting her lip. _Giving in to darkness, huh? ...Guess that settles it, then. For now. I'm not going **anywhere **with the Organization. ...Of course, as much as I hate to admit it, that'll probably change as soon as I see my dad again..._

"_Interceptor_ off the starboard bow!" Goofy suddenly shouted, making them both jump. Everyone ran over to the side and peered at the _Interceptor_ to see Will slumped on the railing.

"Will!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Jack, stop that!" she hissed as he put a hand to his heart and hung his head in respect.

"We've got to rescue him!" Elizabeth informed them. Sora looked at Kiera and she sighed heavily, popping her knuckles. "Say no more. Be back in about thirty seconds, depending on how heavy he is." She smirked at Sora. "Try not to miss me too much."

He rolled his eyes. "I'll try."

_**

* * *

**_

_**THIRTY-SEVEN ****SECONDS LATER...**_

"Here's your beloved, free of charge. I'm not even charging for shipping and handling, it was probably _crappy _shipping and handling anyways," Kiera commented as she handed Will over to Elizabeth.

"Thank you so much," she said sincerely. Kiera nodded, and Elizabeth smacked Will across the face lightly a few times.

"Will, wake up!"

He opened his eyes and smiled slightly at her. "Elizabeth..."

"What happened?"

"The medallions...and...the stone chest – someone's taken them...Next thing I knew, we were attacked...but I couldn't see who it was...his face was shrouded by a black hood...!"

Kiera sighed heavily. "But of course."

"The Organization!" Sora exclaimed.

"Duh," she muttered.

"We found a way out of the cave...but the villain sent a horde of terrible creatures after us...I've never seen their likes before. I think...I'm the only one who made it back to the ship."

"Will..."

"Elizabeth...I feel rather..." he trailed off, slipping back into unconsciousness. Kiera hung her head as Elizabeth tried in vain to revive him, just hoping he wasn't dead or in a coma or anything.

"Now it's our turn, guys," Sora said.

Elizabeth stood. "You'd best go prepared. We've no idea what's out there!"

"Pardon me, lads and lassies, but your captain will have _no_ monsters today," Jack commented, and turned away to walk off before continuing. "Thank ye. We're turning for home."

"Just like that?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief.

"Just like that!" he replied slowly, heading up the stairs.

Sora looked at Keira. "Your beloved pirate's a bit of a coward."

Her temple throbbed. "We're all quite cowardly sometimes. And sometimes we forget to fight in spite of our fear. Now SIT!"

_**THUD.**_

"Ow!"

"FEAR MEEEE! MUAHAHA!"

"Don't remember invitin' you," they heard Jack comment to some other person, interrupting Kiera's maniacal laughter and Sora's yelling. They were the first to run out there, Kiera having felt her shoulder sting a few seconds before Jack's statement but _hoping _it was her imagination.

"So it _was_ the Organization. We'll handle this!" Sora informed Jack. Kiera groaned. "I hate it when you say that. That little 'we' thing!"

The Nobody chuckled, a Heartless appearing in the middle of his statement. "The Darkness of men's hearts – drawn to these cursed medallions; and this Heartless – a veritable maelstrom of averice! I wonder, are they worthy to serve Organization XIII?" he mused.

"And you want an answer _now_?" Jack asked.

"Precisely." And with that, he disappeared.

The Heartless was blood red with gray armor and multicolored jewels. He also had some sort of scythe for a weapon. He waved it around kind of like a pendulum.

And boy, did it pack a punch. Kiera must've gotten healed about nine times. But half of that was due to the fact that Sora had definitely rubbed off on her; she felt the need to be right in the action and the closest one to the enemy, fighting with all she had.

And this time, she had her drawer of eating utensils with her. The Heartless most definitely didn't like them, either.

* * *

Soon, they were able to successfully defeat it and hurl it over the side of the ship. "Oh, boy!" Donald cheered happily.

"Not over yet!" Sora warned, resuming his battle stance after seeing Kiera grab her shoulder and realizing the Organization dude was back.

He chuckled, lowering his hood to reveal what looked to be bleached blonde hair and facial hair in the form of a beard that extended along his jaws. His hair on his head and face were skillfully trimmed, like a bleached-blonde hedge.

His eyes were also icy blue, and they were piercing right into Kiera. Even his damn eyebrows looked ominous, the way they were shaped.

"Throw him overboard."

"Aye aye!" Sora responded to Jack's command.

"Parley!" the Nobody shouted, holding up his hand.

"Excuse me?" Jack asked.

"Barley?" Goofy repeated.

"It's a sort of form of pirate's code. Anyone who invokes 'parley' must not be harmed 'til negotiations are complete," Jack explained. He didn't sound too happy that Parley had been invoked, but then again, Kiera wasn't either.

"This is no time for rules!" Sora protested.

"True. But as we're honorable pirates we should always stick to the Code," Jack replied, stepping forward towards the Member.

Kiera drooped. "But, Jaaaack...those are more of _guidelines_ anyways!"

"Aye, lass, be that as it may, we're still honorable pirates. Alright, you. Out with it."

"I surrender the chest with my humblest apologies."

"Rather accomodating of you, mate. And I suppose you want _what_ in return?"

"Just a few souvenirs...for the memories."

"Huh?"

He threw three coins in the air, and three Nobodies appeared, running off with them. "Oh, no! We can't stop the curse unless we got all the medallions!" Goofy exclaimed.

"Our friend's about to learn what it means to cross a pirate," Jack said ominously.

"Oh?" The Member said skeptically. As if on cue (which it probably was), there was a huge rumbling noise, and a different form of the creature they'd defeated minutes ago arose from the water.

"Kiera! Sora! Donald! Goofy! He's yours!" Jack said simply.

It blew a huge wind, knocking the five of them all the way over to the _Interceptor_. "Ewww, that wind smelled awful..." Kiera said, making a face.

"It's the smell of death. And it appears the stench of ours shall join the foul wind soon enough," Jack commented. She slowly stood, realizing where exactly the cannons of the Pearl were pointed.

"...Shit," she said weakly.

Right at them. The Organization Member looked at her again. "Last chance, Kiera. Join or die. What say you?"

She moved to stand right beside Sora defiantly. "I _say_, 'Go to hell!'"

He chuckled, raising his hand. "Very well." He then flung his hand towards them. "FIRE!"

The cannons started going off, and Sora grabbed her, covering most of her with his own body. "DUCK!"

She attempted to cover her head as explosions went off all around them, but one huge explosion that seemed to erupt from all around them made her black out.

* * *

When she came to, her head hurt terribly and her ears were ringing. "...ra? Hey, Kiera!" Sora was saying. She blinked a couple times, groaning. Sora's upper half was floating in her vision, and he slowly stopped moving as her vision focused.

"You alright?"

She nodded, then sat up. She then promptly flopped back down, not caring that she flopped against hard stone and splintered wood, which made her head hurt even more. "Noooo. You idiot, you didn't protect me good enough. ALL your fault," she groaned. He smiled slightly, then looked at something ahead of him. "You stole enother medallion?" he asked the person in annoyed disbelief.

Her guess, what with the level of annoyance, was that it was Cap'n Jack. "Were I only that fortunate..."

"Fortunate?" Donald repeated as Sora helped Kiera sit up. They tried to ignore her "Owowowowowowowowwwww"s.

"So, uh, how come you're all skeleton-y?" Goofy asked.

"Perhaps I got a touch o' somethin' from that monster what attacked us. Yet, why's the skin restin' right on _you three_?" Jack asked thoughtfully.

"'Cause _we're _not greedy!" Donald replied. Kiera and Sora paused to look at him, trying not to laugh. Goofy was looking at him in disbelief. Finally, the duck waved his arms spastically. "What're you looking at?" he snapped.

The other two looked away innocently, but Kiera couldn't help but snort a laugh. She soon regretted it, though, grabbing her head and hissing in a breath. "Owwwwww."

"KARMA!" Donald exclaimed smugly. Sora rolled his eyes, looking at Jack. "Anyway. That still doesn't solve the mystery." Jack walked a little ways away with his back to them, probably thinking or something.

"Gawrsh! Maybe the reason we're all okay is because we're not _from_ this world," Goofy suggested.

"There must be different laws!" Donald replied.

Kiera looked up at Sora. "Is your gut saying anything?"

"Uh...no. Why?"

She shrugged, looking at the ground so she wouldn't flush. "...I just trust it, is all."

"...Oh. Well...I guess that makes sense, Goofy. We're always just passing through...Wonder when we'll see home again..." Kiera's head had shot up around the time he first mentioned passing through, feeling the growing sadness. Now she continued to stare up at him as he sighed heavily, his sadness worse than when he was denied the right to see Kairi for himself.

"Sora..." Donald said gently with a hint of surprise. _She_ wasn't surprised. Not at all. She'd only been away from home for a few months and she was feeling homesick; from what she'd gathered, Sora had been gone for two or three _years_. And he hadn't left of his own accord, either.

He suddenly brightened, making them all jump. "Just kiddin' ya! Lucky we didn't get cursed, huh?" Kiera sighed, still feeling the sadness. "Sora, I..."

"Quit yammerin', mates! We've got to find ourselves a ship that'll float," Jack said, having suddenly turned around.

Donald and Goofy followed him, and Sora was about to help Kiera stand, but she laughed nervously and waved his help off. "I-It's no problem, I'm fine! Really!"

She stood up and pretended it wasn't a problem, even though the room was now spinning so fast she felt like she was on the teacup ride in Disney World.

Sora made a skeptical face. "Yeah, now try walkin'."

She huffed at him, head held high. "FINE." He waited for a good thirty seconds, tapping his foot. "...Well?"

"GIMME A SECOND," she snapped, waiting for the spinning to subside at least a little. He rolled his eyes. "Kiera, just lemme-"

"No! I'm fine!" she protested, taking little baby steps. Even _that_ made her sway, and he caught her just in time. He rolled his eyes at the glare she shot him once he picked her up. "Just go easy on yourself for a little while and you'll be fine. Can you still summon things?"

She summoned an ice pack and put it on her head, immediately feeling relief. "Yeeeaaaahhh," she said, pleasure obvious in her voice as she shivered for the same reason. Sora flushed at her tone and shivers. "U-Uh, g-g-good. We might need some of that. I don't wanna have to drop ya like that last time I carried you. This might get bumpy," he warned her as he started running.

Kiera didn't care. Being carried while being this exhausted felt so great, she was happy to summon whatever and whenever he asked her to.

Which was a lot on both counts, thanks very much.

Kiera was so out of it that she didn't realize where they were until she heard Elizabeth's voice. "Jack, what happened? This is horrible!"

"Ah, but who's to blame for it, eh?" was his reply.

"Well, it wasn't _Elizabeth_," Will replied.

Sora was the one to answer them. "It was Organization XIII. They're the ones behind it all."

"Wonder where they went?" Goofy said thoughtfully.

Will spoke up to answer that one. "The hooded man took the pirates and his creatures with him into some strange hole. We saw them leave from inside the captain's stateroom."

"Didn't occur to you to fight them, mate?" Jack asked.

"I'm no fool. I knew I was no match for them."

"_That_ I believe."

Will ignored Jack's jab. "Sora, I think we'll need your help."

"Got it."

"Good. First, let's find all the medallions. Otherwise, the curse can't be broken and all the creatures will remain invincible."

"What about me?" Kiera asked groggily, swiveling her head to look at Will and Elizabeth. They tilted their heads to the side to look at her, noticing her in Sora's arms for the first time. "What in the _world_ –"

"Sora here didn't protect me properly when the _Interceptor_ got blown to smithereens," she said simply. Sora's temple throbbed. "It's always _my_ fault, never _Kiera's_."

"Exactly. See, I _knew_ you weren't as dumb as you look," she said with a weak smile. He made a face at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him. Elizabeth cleared her throat, and they blinked at her innocently.

"You can go set her down in the cabin, Sora. I'll take care of her."

He nodded, going down there while Kiera began to protest. "S-Sora, I'm fine, really! I can walk if you set me down!"

"No you can't."

"How do you know!"

"Because you were practically passed out this whole time."

"SO? I'm better now, really!" she protested as he set her on the cot. Sora rolled his eyes as she tried to sit up, only to groan and rub her head tenderly. "The hell happened to me, anyway?"

"I think you got hit by debris or something."

"_Goofy _didn't seem to be hurt this much by debris," she muttered.

"_Goofy's _not a whimp."

"HEY!"

He just grinned as she glared at him. "I'll make a deal with you. If you stay here and let Elizabeth take care of you while we find the last three medallions, I'll come back for you and if you're feeling good enough you can tag along the rest of the time. Deal?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to shake.

Kiera eyed him suspiciously for a good forty seconds before sighing in defeat, shaking his hand. "Fiiiiine, deal."

Sora grinned again. "I knew you'd see it my way."

"HEY, don't use my own lines against me! I'll make you sit!" He rolled his eyes at that one, handing her her ice pack. She plopped it onto her head exaggeratedly, making her wince and go "Owww" after her head started throbbing like crazy.

"Not your smartest move, Kiera."

"Yeah, I know that now, thanks," she replied dully.

"SORA! Hate to interrupt you and your bonnie lass' intimacy, but we need to get a move on," Jack called out from up on deck.

Their temples throbbed. "I...am NOT his bonnie lass! ...AND WHAT INTIMACY?" she shouted back at him. Sora sweatdropped as she clutched her head for what had to be the thirtieth time. "...You're not so good with this whole headache thing, are you?"

"Nooo," she whined. He just grinned, and a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Say, Sora. Even if I'm asleep?"

"Huh?"

"If I'm asleep when you come back, will ya wake me up?"

"Damn, I was hoping you wouldn't think of that," he muttered, making her temple throb. "SORA!"

"Okay, fine, yes, I'll wake you up! Happy?"

"Getting there." Sora rolled his eyes, and she glared at him. "I mean it, now. Wake me up if I'm asleep. I know how your mind works, so don't you forget! I'll make you keep sitting until your ass is bleeding if you don't wake me up!"

"Kiera?"

"WHAT."

He leaned close to her ear. "Stop talking," he murmured, making her shiver all over. "O-Okay."

And then just like that, he left. Her temple throbbed rather menacingly. "...SIIIIIIIIT!"

_**THUUUUD.**_

"...Dammit, Kiera!"

"THINK OF IT AS A GOING-AWAY PRESENT!"


	30. Poor Kiera: Goofy's Shocking Revelation!

**Yeah, that's right. Yet another one. I deserve a fricking award! :D**

**Well, read, review, review some more, and ENJOOOOY! 8D**

* * *

Elizabeth came in there soon after, rag and a glass of something in hand. "Hello there."

Kiera waved a hand in acknowledgement. Her head was killing her after shouting at Sora, but it had been worth it for him not to have the upper hand. Whispering in her ear like that, he was such a moron.

"So, what exactly _happened _to you?" Elizabeth asked with obvious curiosity.

"Weeelll...I remember me telling that Organization guy to go to hell, and then he was all like 'FIREEEE!' and so then Sora pushed me to the ground and he shouted 'DUCK!' and then he covered most of me with his own body, like a moron. And there were a few explosions from different ends of the ship, but this one GIANT explosion right by us made me black out, and then I woke up with a terrible headache and ringing in my ears," Kiera concluded thoughtfully.

"Oh, I see. So _that's _why you said Sora failed to protect you properly," Elizabeth said slowly as she put the rag on Kiera's forehead.

The younger girl shrugged. "I was just kidding, it's not his fault. I just said it to blame him."

"Seems you do that often."

"Yeah, it pisses him off sometimes, it's pretty funny," Kiera said with a laugh.

Elizabeth smiled. "It probably makes him so angry because he wishes to do the best he can to protect you."

"Probably. Without me, I imagine it'd be preeeetty boring," Kiera mused. She quickly followed that up with, "N-Not that I'm full of myself or anything. It just...it's true! Without me, he'd get along with _everybody _and have _no one _to argue with! ...Besides the bad guys, of course. But they're no fun. They're spoil-sports."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I understand what you meant, Kiera. Although it _is _quite fun to see you embarrassed like that."

Kiera's temple throbbed, and she looked at the cup. "Funny. Sora says that a lot, too. What's that?"

"A concoction of herbs. Helps the headache."

"...Is it nasty?"

"I wouldn't say _nasty_, no."

"...Alright, I'll take it then," she muttered grudgingly as Elizabeth handed it to her. She took a huge swig of it and nearly spit it out in Elizabeth's face.

"UGGGHHHH, THAT'S _DISGUSTING_!" she exclaimed after swallowing it with much difficulty. She then drank the rest of it down without complaint, making Elizabeth sweatdrop.

"...I like my head _not _hurting, so I decided I should just take it like a woman," Kiera explained before sighing and turning onto her side.

"I'm gonna take a nap now. Um, Elizabeth?"

"Yes?"

"If Sora comes back, could you-"

"Yes, I'll make sure he wakes you up," she said with a giggle. Kiera flushed, then nodded. "Good."

_**

* * *

**_

_**AN****HOUR OR SO LATER...**_

Kiera got a rude awakening in the form of falling off the cot. She groaned, blinking up at the ceiling.

"Owww..."

"That's four medallions! We got 'em all!" Sora said suddenly, his voice wafting from up on deck. She shot upright, eyes wide. _He's back already?_

Kiera jumped to her feet, glad to find she was back to normal (if not a little dizzy when she first stood up, but that was probably because she got up so fast). "But where's the chest?" Jack asked.

She ran up the stairs excitedly, then strolled along casually once in everyone's view. "If we find the hooded man, we'll find it," Will replied.

"Prob'ly in Port Royal," Sora added as Kiera slid into place between him and Jack.

"Why's that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Organization XIII is after people's hearts. So they're gonna go wherever there's lots of people," Sora explained.

"They'll hurt the townsfolk?" Will asked as if not believing it.

"No, they're bringin' 'em flowers, mate," Jack replied sarcastically. "I don't know who these Organizers are, but I _will _say they're makin' we pirates look like proper gents!" he snapped, heading up the stairs towards the steering wheel of the ship.

"Well, Jack, then...we have to help!" Will replied.

"Then let go and haul the run free!" Jack commanded, stopping at the fourth step to look back at them all.

Kiera did her weird sigh-giggle thing. "He's so admirable."

Sora's temple throbbed. "...I can tell I was missed."

"No you weren't, silly Sora!" she replied with a laugh.

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWO****HOURS LATER...**_

They ran across the deck into town to encounter the Grim Reaper Heartless. "Go. He's for me," Jack hissed, running the opposite direction.

Will, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kiera nodded, running towards the stone chest. "Now to break that curse!" Sora said determinedly, putting the coins back in the chest.

"The curse! It's gone!" Donald exclaimed as the Grim Reaper returned to his normal color. Jack, however, stayed the same. "Then what's this?" Jack wondered, inspecting his still-skeletal self.

"Aw, I understand. Jack musta been cursed by that monster! _Not _by the gold coins," Goofy said suddenly.

"Oh, I've no worries, then," the pirate said sullenly.

"It's okay, Jack! We'll just have to defeat the monster, that's all," Sora assured him. Kiera smirked and nodded, summoning a sword-sized ballpoint pen. "And with kick-ass heroes like us around, it shouldn't be too hard."

"_Junior _heroes," Goofy corrected.

Kiera nodded happily. "Junior heroes!"

* * *

_**FORTY****MINUTES LATER...**_

After making the Grim Reaper creature drop the Aztec coins, and having to use Donald's magic and such to get them all collected and back in the chest, she and Sora had both landed the last blow.

The creature shuddered, clutched its weapon, and died. Jack inspected his now-fleshy self, pleased.

"All better."

"Ah, not quite, mate."

They looked over to see the Organization Member causing some weird light to form around the Heartless before it disappeared. "Sora, Kiera, bravo."

They ran after him, but he disappeared just in the nick of time. "Just who _was _that chap?" Jack asked, a hand on Kiera's non-marked shoulder.

"He's part of an Organization that's collecting hearts. First they release Heartless into different worlds. We defeat those Heartless. Then _they _get the hearts! We're never gonna stop 'em like this..." Sora explained glumly.

"What's the plan, then?" Jack asked.

"We've gotta find their stronghold and finish them off once and for all," Sora replied.

"Sailin' these waters, I've heard some tales, but not a one like _this_."

"Is there any way _we _can help?" Will asked suddenly, making Kiera jump. She was so jumpy lately.

"Hmm..."

"Anything at all?"

"...There is," Jack said suddenly.

* * *

_**LATER****...**_

Kiera watched the chest sink down into the dark water, then looked up at Jack as he spoke. "It's certain we don't need the likes of that hooded fellow and the Heartless about. They'll ruin the market for us true pirates."

"So _that's _why you went to Port Royal. And we thought you actually wanted to _save _everyone!" Elizabeth said angrily.

"A pirate _always _looks to profit, Miss Swann," was his simple reply.

"Too bad. You had us going there, thinking you'd turned over a new leaf," Sora said with a couple laughs.

"The question is, what's _beyond _the leaf? Savvy?"

Kiera sighed dreamily. "True poetry at its finest, Cap'n Sparrow."

"I try, luv."

Sora rolled his eyes, and Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Oh...Oh, yes – a reward. And what'll it be?"

"That lovely blade of Sora's." Everyone jumped back in surprise.

"Okay. Sure." Just like that, Sora held it up for him to take. Kiera opened her mouth to protest, and he covered her mouth with his free hand. She huffed, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hold on! That was far too easy," Jack said suspiciously. "What's the rub?" he asked. Sora tried to hand it to him, and after jumping in apprehension a couple times, Jack grabbed it. It almost immediately disappeared with a silver light, reappearing in Sora's hand.

"There, you see!" Jack proclaimed.

"Well, you've always got the Pearl, Jack."

"That I do. But someday, I'll gather a blood-thirsty crew, and come to take that blade. Chance by then, I'll have the ability to wield it. And if I succeed, I'll ask you two to join me. That'd be reward enough."

"Me too?"

"Aye, Kiera. Sorry, mate, your bonnie lass seems to have left you billowing in the metaphorical wind," Jack informed Sora, whose temple throbbed. "KIERA!"

"What?" she said, blinking innocently. "You can come too, I _guess_."

"IDIOT!"

"Done," Elizabeth said suddenly. Kiera snorted a laugh at the look Will gave her suddenly.

"Maybe someday, Jack'll be able to use the Keyblade after all," Goofy told Donald.

"Why's that?" the duck asked.

"A-hyuck! He and Sora are kind of alike, dontchya think?"

"Are not!" the two replied in unison, making the same exact hand gestures and everything. Kiera turned deathly pale. "...Oh...my GOD...NOOOOOO!" she wailed dramatically.

"Shucks, Kiera, what's wrong?" Goofy asked with concern. She practically had tears in her eyes. "This can't _be_! Jack Sparrow and Sora...ALIKE? HOW CRUEL CAN FATE BE?"

"...Oh, she must be referring to the fact that because of how much she admires Jack, she must secretly admire me the same amount too," Sora said suddenly, looking rather smug. The death glare she shot him made everyone laugh, and soon she found herself laughing too.

"Some say Jack Sparrow's the worst pirate ever to sail the Spanish Main," Will said a while later.

"No one could really mean that," Elizabeth said.

"Right. We know he's the best," Will agreed.

"I hope we get to see him again," Sora said thoughtfully. Kiera nodded. "Aye-Aye!" she agreed cheerfully.

Once they got back on the ship, Chip made a triumphant noise. "It's that weird reading from before. See, I _knew _it wasn't a glitch!"

"Yeah! But it's still all cloudy and kinda fuzzy."

"Hmm...Well, we know one thing for sure."

"What's that?"

"Whenever Sora, Kiera, Donald, and Goofy go out and help folks, the reading gets stronger!"

"Gee, I wonder why..."

"Hey, Sora. We're gonna try to find out more about this reading," Chip shouted up at them.

"And while we do, you fellas just keep on questin'!" Dale added cheerfully.

"We really are countin' on you, guys!" they shouted excitedly.

Kiera laughed nervously. "No pressure!" She then turned to look at Sora. "Say, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think...that...it might be Kingdom Hearts? I mean, wouldn't that explain why it keeps growing when we help people?"

He waved her off. "Naaahh, I don't think so. There's no _way _it'd be that simple." She smiled. "Yeah, you're probably right."


	31. Agrabah Part Deux!

**Back again! ...I...I have... *sniffles* SLIGHT WRITER'S BLOCK FOR A LOT OF MY OTHER STORIES! THERE, I SAID IT, WHAT OF IT?**

***Wails dramatically before blowing nose in huge Kleenex* W-Well...Anyway. At least I can do chapps for this, for SOMETHING, right? **

**Haha welllll read, review, review some more, and of course, ENJOY! 8D**

* * *

They landed in Agrabah next. In a gold-encrusted room with random treasures. Donald circled around, amazed, and rammed into a vase.

"Wak!" he exclaimed, steadying the vase.

"_Wak_?" Kiera wondered. _Even **I **haven't said that one yet...!_

"You break it, you buy it!" a voice shouted from nearby. They looked around, and Kiera finally remembered where she'd heard that voice before. The midget merchant man!

"Oh! Hello there, friends!" he greeted.

"Wow! You made it out like a bandit!" Sora exclaimed.

"Please...I am but an honest merchant," he replied, making Kiera scoff. "That's like saying 'I'm not a panhandler, I am simply a politician!' ...What's the difference?"

He ignored that. "What you see is merely the reward for my hard work."

"Gawrsh, they sure are nice!" Goofy commented, still looking around.

"And they're on sale! You interested?"

"No thanks," Sora replied pleasantly, moving closer to the desk. "Listen, have you seen a guy in a black coat? Someone from Organization XIII?"

"Me? Most certainly not..."

"Okay. We'll keep asking around, then," Sora said. Kiera continued to eye the merchant suspiciously. "Sora, no offense - ...wait, YES offense- you're _way _too trusting of people. I don't think this guy's-"

"SORA! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!" Aladdin suddenly shouted, running in with Abu in tow.

They turned back towards the desk to see the merchant gone. "What's going on?" Sora asked Aladdin.

"Can't _believe _it...That stupid peddler let Jafar out of the lamp!" he fumed.

"JAFAR?" they all shouted, even Kiera looking devastated. She groaned. "Nonono NO, I can NOT go against someone like that!"

The other three seemed to be having flashbacks, and when they snapped out of it, they shivered. "You guys better be careful," Aladdin warned.

"Huh?"

"I'm sure Jafar wants to take over Arabah again, but I know he's out for revenge too."

"I guess he's still sore about that whole lamp thing, huh," Sora said thoughtfully. Kiera sweatdropped. "...YA THINK?"

Aladdin looked to Iago, who was hovering beside Goofy. "Iago was there when Jafar was released. Okay, Iago. Spill it."

"Hey! I told you everything I know!"

"This is your one and _only _chance, Iago. If I find out later that you've been lying or hiding things from us, we're through. I'll never speak to you again."

Iago groaned. "I can't take it! I know where Jafar is!"

"Where?" Goofy asked.

"Uh, er, I mean, that is, I, um...Ack! I really shouldn't..."

"IAGO!" Aladdin and Kiera shouted.

"He's in the desert ruins," he admitted in a rush.

"Let's get the jump on him! Lead the way!" Sora said enthusiastically. Kiera edged towards the merchant's desk, gripping it tightly. "U-Umm...maybe I should stay here in case the merchant gets back and-"

"C'mon, scaredy cat," Sora said with an eyeroll, dragging her out by her shirt. "HEY! STOP STRETCHING MY SHIRT, SORAAAA! I CAN ONLY SUMMON SO MANY!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS****LATER...**_

They walked over to the edge of the sand slope, looking at...well...desert ruins. "Wow," Kiera breathed.

"_Now _what do we do?" Sora asked.

Carpet zoomed over to them, gesturing for Sora to hop on. "Nice timing, Carpet!"

Kiera felt her pulse pound. She wanted to follow him, but...what if they went too high?

But then he was about to zoom off, and her feet made up her mind for her, hopping off the edge and onto the carpet with him. She grabbed his arm as she maintained her balance, and he glanced back at her. "...That took longer than I thought it would," he said with a smug grin.

She grinned back at him, but then they turned serious. Sora had his keyblade at the ready, staring intently for any sign of Jafar. Kiera had summoned an aluminum bat and had a similar stare going.

Suddenly, their eyes widened as a red poof of smoke came up from one of the arches, and they noticed a liquidy version of Jafar hovering, waiting for them.

"I hope you know how to use this thing!" Kiera shouted as they took off, trying to get close enough to battle him. Luckily, Sora did.

_Unluckily_, that meant they were both gonna have to fight on the carpet. Kiera looked at the flying Heartless and nodded, summoning Death the Kid's jet-skateboard again. "Here, I'll mke it easier for the both of us!" she told him as she zoomed higher up than carpet, whacking the heads clean off the top Heartless.

When they were all gone, she saw Jafar appear behind Sora, just _staring_. "SORA, LOOK!" she shouted, and they were soon on the chase.

They were hot on his heels, and one of Kiera's swings even got his hat. She knew it did because he had to grab it before it fell off. He then started casting spells.

"Kiera, try and stop him!" Sora shouted, trying to catch up. She nodded and did so, but after a while he just stopped and laughed. A red sort of glare appeared behind him, and they were back on the chase again.

They reached the top of a tower, and Sora landed not long after. He summoned more Heartless, making Kiera sigh. "MAN, this is annoying!" she complained, summoning a china cabinet and shoving it onto half of the Heartless. Sora took care of the other half in no time at all.

Suddenly, some sort of monument appeared on the top of the tower. Sora went to inspect it, and Kiera pressed her face next to his so she could see too. "Quit being a monument hog!"

They saw three switches, and exchanged a look. "Something tells me we need to activate those," Kiera said simply, hopping back onto the jet-skateboard. She was smirking, though; Sora's cheeks had been just a _liiiiiittle _bit red for a second there.

"I think you're right. Ready?"

"Duh."

And with that, they zoomed off.

_**

* * *

**_

_**MANY****MINUTES LATER...**_

After Sora triggered the last switch, the solitary opening in the tall tower was opened. Kiera made it through the opening first, and Sora made it right before the Heartless got him.

She sighed in relief, making her jet-skateboard disappear. They were now in the tower's interior, and it was a rather gloomy scene. Nothing but ruins. She followed the others as they ran towards the main room of the tower.

"The game's over, Jafar!" Sora shouted, skidding to a stop. They looked around and were greeted with silence.

"You _sure _this is it?" Aladdin asked, turning to Iago.

"Iago?"

He flew over to a random piece of debris, looking rather guilty. Kiera's face fell. "...Crap. Oh CRAP! You sneaky little bastard! I'M SHOVING CRACKERS DOWN YOUR THROAT BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN HAVE TIME TO SQUAWK!" she snapped, and Sora covered her mouth with his hand before she could shout any more.

"Ya gotta understand. It wasn't my idea!" Iago pleaded. "It was Jafar. He made me bring you here! You don't know him like I do! He can be VERY convincing! ...He said if I didn't cooperate, he was gonna –"

"Where is he?" Aladdin demanded.

"Look, Al, you _gotta _forgive me!"

"WHERE'S JAFAR?"

"Well...um...let's see...right about now, he's probably attacking the palace. I had no choice! His eyes, they got all creepy and weird!"

"Whatever!" Sora replied. "Iago, you're supposed to be our friend. But you've been playing both sides, just to make sure you save yourself!"

"I _knew _you were still a bad guy!" Donald shouted. Kiera popped her knuckles ominously, Sora having lowered his hand to curl it into a fist. "Sora, permission to debone Polly here and serve him with cheese and crackers?"

"I'm SORRY!" Iago wailed, accidentally knocking over a vase and breaking it. The lack of a vase on top made a mechanism trigger on the pedestal, and the walls shook around them.

Carpet zoomed in, and Kiera groaned. "This is just like in The Mummy, when the whole thing was going under the sand dunes! NAAAAOOO!"

"JUST HOP ON!" Sora shouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her onto Carpet. They wove around the debris, trying to avoid as many Heartless as possible. Kiera took care of most of the ones they DID run into with her aluminum bat, and they outflew the rest.

Finally, they zoomed up and out of the ruins right before the sand could swallow them. "WHOO-HOO! GO US!" Kiera shouted cheerfully. Then she saw how high they were and got a death grip on Sora's arm.

"Holy crap!"

He laughed. "Just relax. I'm not gonna let you fall, y'know."

When they were safely away from the ruins, back to the oasis, Carpet collapsed. "Get some rest, Carpet. You earned it," Aladdin told him.

"C'mon, let's get Jafar!" Iago shouted.

"Who asked you?" Sora snapped.

"The Palace is this way! Hurry!" Aladdin told them, running towards the ovular doors.

So hurry they did.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

They ran into the merchant on their way to the Palace, and stopped for a "chat". And by "chat," we mean Kiera trying to strangle him and Sora yanking her back just in time.

"YOU LITTLE BASTARD, WITH YOUR SHIT-FACED GRIN AND-"

"Kiera, calm down!"

"I AM CALM!"

"...Right," Aladdin and Sora muttered with sweatdrops. "I guess you know everything now, eh?" the merchant asked casually.

"You can't keep shady stuff secret for long," Sora said with a grunt, the grunt due to trying to keep a good hold on Kiera's arms.

"DAMMIT!"

"So true. I had just snuck into the Palace to, er, _borrow _some treasure when I heard this...voice. It said: 'Release me, and I will give you an even greater reward.' 'Who are you?' I asked. The voice spoke again. 'The true Sultan of Agrabah,' he said. 'Imprisoned by villains.' Oh! Why did I believe such a tall, tall tale? Perhaps I was under Jafar's spell. Yes! That _must _be it!"

"Or maybe you're just an idiot," Kiera said dully, now a bit more calm. Sora let go of one of her arms. "And I'm sure the _treasure _had nothing to do with it, right?" he said skeptically.

"Maybe a bit. But Jafar, he never gave me a thing..."

"So where did you get all your treasure?"

"Why, the man in the black coat, of course."

"Organization XIII?" they shouted. Kiera groaned. "I'm starting to _really _hate that name..."

"I KNEW it!" Sora declared. She sweatdropped. "You want a medal?"

"The treasure was a gift, so I would tell no one about Jafar's return. He said he would destroy Jafar after turning him into a...'Heartless'. So there was no need to upset Agrabah."

"And you _bought _that?" Sora asked in disbelief. Kiera huffed, glaring at the midget merchant. "I ain't that surprised."

"I'm a merchant. And a successful one at that. I'll buy anything wth a good price. It would have been a successful transaction if I hadn't been _seen_..." he muttered, looking over at Iago meaningfully.

"Oh, you're so kind..." Iago interrupted, bowing.

_**

* * *

**_

_**THIRTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

"...Right about now your precious Aladdin is whispering your name with his last breath," Jafar was saying to Jasmine, who he currently had chained to the Palace door.

It was rather disturbing, if you asked Kiera.

He then realized they were waiting behind him, and scoffed after turning around. "_What _was that you were saying, Jafar?" Aladdin asked smugly as if he'd already won.

"You dare defy ME? You useless bird!" Jafar exclaimed, having seen Iago. He channeled some dark red magic into his staff, aiming it for Aladdin.

Iago gasped. "Al!" he shouted, zooming in front of him and taking the hit. "Iago!" Goofy cried out, and they all bent over to look at the rather stiff-looking bird.

"You'll all be joining him...VERY soon!" Jafar informed them, turning into a massive red genie form of himself. He sent one of the towers tumbling down, and Kiera pulled Sora and herself out of the way just in time.

So how did he thank her? Zooming up into the sky to take on Jafar by himself. Just _watching _him go out of her sight made her unbelievably nervous, which annoyed her to no end. So she had no choice but to summon Kid's jet-skateboard, and a cattle prod, and a couple other random things before zooming up after him.

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS****LATER...**_

It took roughly forever and a day, but Kiera had finally exposed Jafar's weakness. How, you ask? She took a stick and poked his belly button.

He howled, and so she continued to torture his belly with maniacal giggles. "TAKE THAT, YA OLD FART!"

Sora covered her, taking the hits Jafar aimed towards her and repelling most of them.

_Once _he actually got her, and she almost fell off, but thankfully she didn't. And a couple times towards the end of their battle, he made the clouds they were fighting among turn stormy and churn around them, explosive boxes flying dangerously close.

She and Sora got hit quite a lot by them, but eventually, Jafar was defeated despite his explosive upper hand. He started glowing with volatile red energy, static dancing across his red skin. "No...How can I BE defeated again, by a pack of filthy street rats?"

Sora, laying on his belly on Carpet, pumped his fist triumphantly. "Don't mess with street rats!"

Kiera smirked and showed her agreement by giving Jafar The Finger. He seemed to take that rather badly, because he then groaned and exploded into red sparklies. Sora and Kiera hopped off their respective flying tools, back with their friends, and Kiera fingered the singed ends of her hair. "...Great. Anyone know how to cut hair?"

"You went mano a mano with Jafar, and you didn't invite me, Al?" Genie suddenly asked in disbelief, making her jump with a yell.

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM? ...Oh, wait, Genie's a genie. Never mind."

"Sorry, Genie. Things happened kinda fast!"

"And I had some new moves to show off, too!" he muttered, continuing to pout.

"But Genie, we _still _need your help!" Donald told him.

"Who's gonna fix Agrabah?" Aladdin asked.

"AND my hair?" Kiera asked hopefully.

"OHH YEAAH! One super-duper spruced-up Agrabah comin' right up! You won't even _recognize _the place when I'm through with it!" Genie exclaimed, happily making sparks of magic go all over the place.

"...AND my hair?" Kiera asked again.

"Just like it was, please," Aladdin replied to Genie.

"Really? Same old, same old?"

"Not with my hair, I need it shoulder-length again!" Kiera shouted up at him.

"All right," Genie said with a sigh. He enchanted Agrabah, fixing it up just like it had been. "Et voila! Next time let me put in a few swimming pools, 'kay?"

"WHAT ABOUT MY HAIR?" Kiera shouted up at him pathetically. Too late; he was gone. She drooped in defeat, and Goofy patted her shoulder sympathetically. "It's alright, Kiera. You still look loverly even _with _scorched ends on your hair!"

She sweatdropped. "...Thanks, Goofy..."

* * *

"Well, I guess Agrabah really is back to normal," Sora said a little while later with a pleased sigh.

"Yeah! Thanks, guys," Aladdin replied.

"Pleasure's all ours!" Kiera replied brightly. They all turned to look at Iago as Sora said, "Hey, you behave yourself, got it?"

"I most _definitely _got it! No more lookin' out for number one. I'm reformed! I wanna be a good friend, like Genie, but I can't do anything to help you. What kind of friend is _that_?"

Sora shook his head. "Oh, no – it's not like that, Iago. Friends don't have to 'do' stuff. As long as you have fun hanging out with them, that's all that matters!" He paused, ruffling Kiera's hair. "For example, Kiera here!"

"HEY!"

The others started laughing, and Aladdin looked at Sora and Kiera. "So. What do _you guys _do for fun?"

Goofy and Donald answered him, making idiotic faces. "We do THIS!" they exclaimed. Everyone else sweatdropped. "Uh...that's not _quite _what I meant."

"Well, anyway..."

"Ow, my beak..." Iago muttered, and they turned to look at him air-limp along.

"Gawrsh, Iago...I hope you didn't hurt yourself."

"Ah, well. At least I can still fly," he said dramatically. Goofy held out his hands, ready to catch him, but wasn't paying attention to where he was going.

"Look out!" they called out. Too late; he rammed into a few display shelves, making Donald and Aladdin sweatdrop.

"Ooh! Was that my cue? Am I on? C'mon, Al, lemme build a freeway or something!"

"Everything's fine, don't panic...GENIE!"

"But I can't hold it any longer!" Genie protested, and soon he was laughing giddily as he made all sorts of "adjustments" to Agrabah. Sparks were coming down all over them, and Kiera caught some in her cupped hands with a few laughs. "Magic in the palm of my hands? EPIC!"

"Sora! Kiera! Donald! Goofy! You guys are too much! If you're ever in the mood for some more cosmic razzle-dazzle, gimme a shout, okay?"

"You got it!"

"WHAT ABOUT MY HAAAIIIIR?" Kiera wailed, but he had already disappeared again. She sighed miserably. "Dammit. You've gotta be KIDDING me."

"Well, you've done it again, Sora. With the help of Kiera, of course," Aladdin added as she opened her mouth to say something to that effect. "Don't forget about us, okay?"

"Never."

"And Sora...about that friend of yours, the one you're looking for...You'll find him. Trust me." Sora had drooped when he mentioned Riku, and Aladdin put his hands on his shoulders. Kiera smiled, and then they were back on the ship.

She summoned some scissors and a book titled "Haircuts for Dummies".

"What's all that for?" Sora asked. Kiera sighed glumly, pointing to the singed bits of her hair. "I'm due a trim."

Sora just started laughing, and her temple throbbed. "SIT."

_**THUD.**_

"Owww..."

She then looked at the mirror, hand not-so-steady as she slowly got closer and closer to her hair with the scissors. Right as she made a very crucial first cut, Sora popped up from behind her in the mirror. "BOO!"

"GAH!" she shrieked, and luckily had cut the strands right before he did that. She glared at him as he laughed uncontrollably, and she narrowed her eyes.

His laughter slowly trailed off. "Hahaha...ha...ha...I'm about to seriously pay for that one, aren't I?"

"You have _no _idea, Sora."


	32. True Heroes!

**Back again! Thanks again for the faves and alerts, and the reviews. Thanks also to NEW reviewers, and thanks to DarknessSun again for asking me to read your story. I'm glad I did, it's great! ^^**

**Wellll, I was thinking of making some kind of Christmasy chapp soon (if not next), so if you have any ideas on that, lemme know. (The reviews on THAT ONE should be good... XD)**

**Well, that's all I've got for ya at the moment. Read, review, review even MORE MORE MORE, and ENJOOOOOY! :D**

**...Oh, and congrats to Squee for getting an account! Like the name, both Squee and Namine1112 **

**8D**

* * *

Kiera made the final cut with a relieved sigh; she had somehow managed to NOT screw her hair up. Luckily, the book had been very specific.

Her hair was now back to shoulder length, and she had even been able to put it in layers. It made her hair a lot healthier, which meant there was no more risk of her being mistaken for a...blasted...BRUNETTE!

...Not that there was anything wrong with brunettes. It was just hard to be one after being famed for your red hair for fifteen years. She was glad to have that red hair back, bright as usual.

Kiera smirked and bowed to Sora. "And I owe _you_ a big thank-you. Without your _looooverly_ cooperation, I wouldn't have been able to do such an awesome job. In fact, I think a round of applause is in order!"

He was glaring daggers at her, but the effect was kind of ruined since she'd bound him to a chair, gagged him, and summoned him an improvised "makeover". As revenge for almost causing her hair to lose a TON of inches with his stupidity, he now had a Pebbles-esque ponytail at the very top center of his head, complete with heavy blush on his cheeks and lipstick scribbled all over his face. It was quite satsifying.

She started snickering, what with his glare combined with his current appearance. "D-Donald! Where's your camera?" she managed to shout out between laughs.

Donald came waddling in. "What, have you finally decided to cooperate and – ..." Donald was silent for a moment, three dots slowly appearing over his head to emphasize his silence as he sweatdropped.

He then erupted into quacks of laughter, rolling on the floor. Kiera smiled innocently at Sora, who looked like he was about to strangle her. "Look at that. You put a smile on his face, _and_ made both our days...Why, Sora, that's so _sweet_ of you!" she cooed, pinching one of his poor over-blushed cheeks.

"THAT'S IT!" he exclaimed, struggling with the ropes binding him. Donald managed to stay upright long enough to snap a picture of the struggling Keyblade wielder before collapsing again with laughter.

Kiera's eyes widened as he actually managed to snap the ropes, and with a fresh curse finding its way out of her mouth, she ran for it.

"KIERA, GET BACK HERE!"

"NO WAY!" she shouted back, locking a door behind her. She didn't lock it quick enough, and now she was trapped.

"Now, Sora...let's not be too hasty," she said with nervous laughter. His temple was on Constant Throb Mode, and annoyed anger was coming off him in waves.  
"Kiera Reilly Sage, you're as good as dead!"

She stared at him, then couldn't help but erupt into laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA! ...I-I'm sorry, I just can't take you seriously in all that makeup!"

His temple throbbed even more. "GET IT OFF ME!"

"That's what the sink in the bathroom is for, moron."

"Are you kidding? I won't be able to get it all off _myself_! I dunno what half the stuff IS that you put on me!"

Kiera sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes, grabbing him by the shirt and dragging him to the bathroom. "FINE, I'll wash it off then! Stupid useless Sora, can't even wipe makeup off his face."

Sora shut the door behind them, and she rolled her eyes. "Like the whole ship doesn't already know what I did to you."

"No need to make them laugh even more!" he said defensively, which just made HER laugh even more as she summoned a washrag and gallons of makeup remover.

His temple throbbed even more after noticing just how much makeup remover she'd summoned. "...Great. The damage is worse than I thought."

HER temple throbbed, and she made a point of squeezing a huge glob of makeup remover onto a tissue and scrubbing his face as hard as possible. Sora immediately started spazzing and squirming, and she summoned a straightjacket. It unbuckled itself before wrapping around him, buckling on the next-to-tightest setting.

"DAMMIT, KIERA!"

"STOP WIGGLING!"

"Argh!"

"Rawr," she replied simply, making him sweatdrop.

"...'Rawr'. _That's_ the best you could come up with?"

"Rawr."

"Stop that!"

"Rawr?"

"Yes, rawr."

"Ah, so you DO speak my language!"

His temple throbbed, and she snorted a laugh before tossing the tissue behind her and summoning a whole box of Kleenex. She pulled the first tissue out of the box dramatically, making him roll his eyes.

"Stop mocking me, sir, this is a climactic moment."

"And why is that?"

"Because I said it was."

"So?"

"Rawr."

His temple throbbed again, which made her grin even bigger as she wiped the rest of the makeup off. She winced after realizing how red his face was due to her scrubbing, then started coughing to hide her laughter. "U-Ummm...sorry about that," she muttered as he saw his poor skin. Luckily, the redness was already almost completely gone, but it was probably the PRINCIPLE of the thing that annoyed Sora.

He just shook his head with a heavy sigh. "It contrasts nicely with the black eye."

"HEY, that's nearly gone too, don't you start up with THAT old chestnut!"

"Old chestnut? IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY!"

"And it's almost GONE today! So...RAWR!"

"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND 'RAWR' LATELY?"

"I HAVE NO EARTHLY IDEA! ...SORA?"

"WHAT?"

"WHY ARE WE SHOUTING?"

"IDIOT, BECAUSE – ...Actually...I don't really know..." They exchanged a look before laughing uncontrollably, causing Kiera to laugh even harder at the fact that Sora was still in the straightjacket. Then, out of absolutely nowhere, the ship lurched.

Kiera stumbled spastically for a rather long time, trying to catch her balance. She failed miserably in the long run, crashing into Sora, who sweatdropped.

"I love how it takes you roughly two minutes to fall," he commented. She laughed, but it trailed off when she realized what an idiot she was. Her palms were against his chest from trying to keep from faceplanting a few moments ago, her leg was against one of his, and the damn tinglies had returned.

Stupid tinglies. Who NEEDS 'em, anyways? Unfortunately, just like the tinglies, Sora's eyes admittedly had a similar effect on her, and she found that no matter how hard she tried to look away, they had her trapped.

The straightjacket was slowly disappearing, and she wanted to try and defend herself by informing him that wasn't SUPPOSED to happen, but found she couldn't talk.

_...Well...THAT can't be good..._

Although her mouth seemed to be working _just_ fine, since it was currently doing a _fantastic_ job of strategically straining to get closer to his.

_Stupid mouth. Disobeying me like that, the hell's it's deal?_

There was only one way to save herself at this point; Kiera used the hand that had somehow ended up on his shoulder to yank the ponytail holder out of the section of his hair, scooting back and away from him as quickly as possible. "...Got it out," she said with an anxious, totally innocent laugh.

He blinked at her, and a weird look was on his face that disappeared after a few seconds. Before anything else could be said or done, Goofy and Donald were calling their names. They were there.

"Temporary ladies first," Kiera announced brightly, waving her arm as if ushering him out as she held the door open. His temple throbbed, and she snickered to herself before following him out.

On the inside, however, she was arguing with herself.

_You moron, the hell was that about? **Oh, c'mon, you know you wanted it.** DID NOT! How DARE you even SUGGEST that! For crying out loud, it's SORA we're talking about here! **Exactly my point, that just makes it even MORE obvious as to how much you SO wanted it!**_

_Wrong, you're wrong, YOU'RE DEAD FRICKING WRONG! ...Jeez. Amateur. Everyone knows that Kiera Sage has total control over herself, her emotions, and of course, Sora the Incurable Moron She Has Control Over Thanks To Being A Gatekeeper. So..._

_**Rawr?**_

_...Yes. Rawr._

Then she realized something. The weird expression that had crossed his face; it was stupid of her to not realize what it was the moment she saw it.

It was disappointment.

* * *

"Well?" Sora asked no one in particular as they stood near the gate to the Underworld.

"The coast is clear!" Goofy informed them.

"No sign of the Nobodies or the Heartless...for now, anyway," Sora agreed. Kiera shivered; the last time she'd been here, she'd had an unbelievably grody sock shoved down her throat.

...AND Demyx had been here. _Demyx..._ She felt a pang of guilt, but shook it off, catching up to the others as they had walked over to inspect something.

Across the water was... "What's that?" Goofy asked.

Kiera shrugged. "It...kinda looks like a prison, like Alcatraz, only redesigned to look like some kind of gloomy Mardi Gras or something."

The other three sweatdropped, and she held up her hands defensively. "I'm just sayin', is all!"

"It's the Underdome," a voice said from beside her, making her jump. "JEEZ!"

It was a guy with jet-black hair in a blood red haori (after seeing all those animes and playing roughly a bazillion Japanese games, she was _very_ familiar with the main concept of haoris). The haori also had blue lining and was kept closed with thick black and blue straps with two brown belts wrapped around it. His arm was tucked inside it, almost like a sling or something. "Fiends of the Underworld once clashed there – battle after battle. But Zeus didn't like the senseless violence, so he locked the place up."

"How did it get UN-locked?" Sora asked.

"Some fool must have broken the seal."

"What an idiot."

"Hmph," was Haori Dude's reply to Sora's comment.

Kiera sweatdropped, glancing sideways at Sora. "'What an idiot'? Are you trying to tell us _you're_ behind it somehow?"

His temple throbbed. "NO. Hey, where are you going, Auron? We should catch up!"

"If you need something to do, go help your friends," was his reply, his back to them. Kiera sweatdropped. _Not a very social guy, this Auron. Wonder how Sora knows him...?_

They walked over to Hercules, who was standing at the base of the stairs to the Coliseum with Meg. "Hey," he said glumly.

"Herc! You feeling any better?"

"Weeeelll, same routine," Meg replied. "Wonderboy here thinks his hero days are over. And Phil thinks it's all in his head."

"Gawrsh, Herc! WE all know you're a hero!" Goofy replied.

Hades chuckled from some unknown source. "That's right..._Blunderboy_. How can you mope on a momentous day like this? The Underdrome's back, and _you_ are gonna fill the stands!"

He had appeared in the middle of his statements, and started walking towards them. "After all, your fans won't settle for anything less than a certified hero."

Herc smiled briefly, holding up his fist herocially before his face fell again. Hades put an arm on his shoulder as he continued. "I mean, if you're not up to it, you could always just, I dunno, LOSE?"

"I bet you'd like that!" Sora practically sneered up into Hades' face, making Kiera cough to hide her laugh. He was such a little kid sometimes.

"Hey, I'm not a selfish guy!" Hades said defensively. "I'm not like those high and mighty snobs up on Olympus. I stand for the masses, and have I got a _massive_ idea! The games, ladies and gentlemen...are back! Yours truly, Hades – _the_ one and only Lord of the Dead – brings to you the _ultimate_ games, to celebrate the _ultimate_ re-opening of the ultimate coliseum! We'll finally answer the age-old question: Who deserves the title 'Ultimate Hero'? These games are gonna settle the debate once and for all! The winner reigns supreme. Of what? You guessed it: The Hadeeeeesss CUUUUP!"

He paused his dramatic Announcer Voice to point over at Hercules. "And I assure you that the 'Great' Hercules will be there. Otherwise...You'll never see your girlfriend again," he said simply.

Hercules had moved in front of Meg protectively, which had been his biggest mistake, the way Kiera saw it.

Sora got closer to Hades. "Lowlife!"

"You're too kind, kid," Hades said with a short half-chuckle after disappearing in yellowish-gray sparks and smoke.

Kiera nodded slowly. "I gotta say, he's got the best comebacks ever. Almost as good as mine!" she said in a respectful tone, making Sora look at her with a temple throb.

"Really, Kiera? REALLY?"

Kiera rolled her eyes at him, and then practically jumped out of her skin when something tugged on her shorts from behind. She jumped and whirled around with a little squeak of surprise, seeing one of Hades' minions behind her. The other was to their left.

"Just talk to me if you wanna enter a tournament," the blue one, the one that scared the CRAP out of her, said.

"His Most Perniciousness is feeling kinda charitable, so don't worry about dying or anything. You should consider yourself lucky!"

"And if you win, you'll get lots of fabulous prizes!" Blue One added.

"There are a bunch of tournaments, so make sure to check often."

"Yeah, it's a great way to spend some time."

"I'm handling registration for the Hades Cup. Don't go to Panic for that one!" Red One said. Kiera snapped her fingers with a little spastic motion. "Ah-HA! Panic, THAT'S his name!"

The two minions sweatdropped. "...Betchya she doesn't last more than ten minutes," Panic stage-whispered to the Red One.

He scoffed. "Chyeah, more like less than _five_!"

Kiera's temple throbbed, and she held up a finger importantly. "WHY YOU _LITTLE_ –" Sora covered her mouth, laughing nervously. "Sign us up!"

Meg's eyebrows shot up. "...Charming," she said with a sweatdrop as Kiera licked his hand, making him spastically remove aforementioned hand from her mouth, and she laughed maniacally.

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"Who do we face first?" Herc asked.

"Let's see..."

"It's 'Spin Strike'," Goofy announced. Kiera sweatdropped. "The hell is that?"

"Guess we'll find out soon."

"Look! Auron's in the tournament, too!" Donald exclaimed, pointing to his name.

"Uh-oh! We might have to fight him in the finals!" Goofy said.

Kiera smirked. "That is, if Sora _makes_ it that far!" she replied, simply snickering as he attempted to stomp on her foot.

"Sit!"

_**THUD.**_

"...I saw that coming," he muttered. Hercules just shook his head. "I knew from last time you two were odd together, but ...Do you do _this _often?"

Sora shook his head. "No, usually we're MUCH worse."

Herc's face fell suddenly. "This Auron guy...I bet he's a real hero."

Kiera and Sora exchanged a look. "I don't think he's a bad guy...But you're the only hero around here, Hercules. You know that," Sora replied.

"Maybe before...Now I'm just a wash-"

"Stop that!" Sora shouted at the same time Kiera shouted "Will you get your head outta your ass? DAMMIT!" Everyone sweatdropped at her words, looking at her. She squirmed a little, but then she huffed. "Hercules, you were ALWAYS one of my favorite heroes in Disney history! I mean, look at yourself, will ya? You're a kick-ass demigod with amazing battle skills, favor with the Gods, a hot babe for a girlfriend, AND you have tons – no, hundreds – hell...THOUSANDS of people that look up to ya. Young and old. _And_ me. So...quit your bitching about being a washout and FIGHT, DADGUMMIT!" she exclaimed, stamping her foot for emphasis.

They were all silent for a few moments before Hercules finally smiled slightly and nodded. "...Maybe you've got a point..."

She leaned towards Sora. "Better?"

He nodded. "Much. Although maybe _next time_ you shouldn't mention heads in asses." She nodded slowly. "Perhaps."

_**

* * *

**_

_**ABOUT****A BAZILLION ANNOYING HEARTLESS LATER...**_

"We made it to the finals!" Sora exclaimed happily. Kiera nodded, smiling. "And it only took us forever and a day!" she replied, making Sora sweatdrop. "For an optimist, you're pretty pessimistic."

"Or maybe I'm just pretty optimistic for a pessimist," she replied wisely. He sweatdropped again. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Of course I do! Optimism is the glass half full, pessimism is Exam Week and Mondays," she replied.

That just made Sora sweatdrop even more, and she shrugged. "OR glass half empty, they're basically the same thing."

"Who cares about glasses and exams? If we win, we'll be _heroes_!" Donald exclaimed with an excited quack.

"Oh, THAT'S why you're so happy," Goofy replied.

"We can't stay junior heroes forever, you know," Sora commented. Kiera rolled her eyes, mouthing "MEN" in a rather annoyed fashion.

"I'll try not to mess things up," Herc said, sitting and looking rather depressed. Kiera's temple throbbed rather ominously, and Sora pulled her backward before she could even comment.

She huffed, and Donald shook his head. "Enough already..." he quacked at Hercules.

"Look. Over there. He's our final opponent, right?" Hercules asked. Kiera turned around like the others had; Auron was standing by the door.

"Auron!" Sora called out. A blood-red powdery substance surrounded him briefly, and he turned to look at them. "And you are?"

Kiera's temple throbbed again. "Five batches of pure awesomeness, _that's_ who!"

"Huh?" Donald asked Auron.

"Auron...?" Sora asked slowly.

It was obvious her comment had been totally ignored, which made her huff again. The only bright side to this was that luckily for everyone within reach of her, she was FINALLY off her period.

_For now..._

"I must defeat you and atone for my crimes," was his cryptic reply.

"HEY!" Sora shouted as he turned away, but he kept walking. "What was _that _all about?" he asked no one in particular. Kiera shrugged, and Goofy breathed in deeply like he usually did when he was thinking. The three then ran after him, and Kiera sighed at Hercules. "I'll be baaaaaack..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

Sora and Kiera pressed against the wall, and Goofy pulled Donald back as he stood in the middle of the entrance like an idiot.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head before poking aforementioned head out next to Sora's, trying to see what they were hiding from.

Auron was standing there with Hades. "Okay, let's review. State your crime, prisoner."

"I exist. That is my crime. It is...inexcusable," Auron replied in that slow and dramatic way of his.

"Oooh, good, very good," Hades said with approval.

"What's wrong with Auron? He's never acted that way before," Sora asked his friends. Kiera stomped on his foot, she and Donald putting a finger to their lips at the same time. "Shut up, loudmouth!" she hissed.

His temple throbbed, and he huffed before turning his gaze back to Auron and Hades. "Okay, so you made one lousy mistake: you exist," Hades was saying. "But hey, I'm a forgiving guy. You keep your end of the deal, and I'm willing to overlook a transgression or two."

"I understand. Defeat Hercules."

Hades turned his head to look at him. "Yep. AND his meddling friends."

Kiera groaned to herself. "That's us, isn't it?" she whispered miserably, hoping someone would say she was wrong, as usual. Guys in haoris were ALWAYS badass in one way or another, and she considered it wise to NOT go against them.

"What? No, only Hercules," Auron protested. Hades tapped his chin before waving his hands up to the sky with a groan. "Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten who's in charge?" he said, hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, the blood-red powdery stuff surrounded Auron's shoulder and head. Auron groaned, and a mini-Auron appeared inside an orb of blood-red powder and fiery sparks in the palm of Hades' hand.

"Hercules _and_ the other four. Are we clear?"

"We're clear, Hades," Auron managed to get out with a slight groan.

"_Lord_ Hades."

"Lord Hades..."

"Goooood. Now go."

Auron turned to leave, and Kiera's eyes focused in on the little figurine of Auron in Hades' closed fist. "Hmph. Either he's got a little shrine dedicated to Auron, or Hades is messin' with voodoo. I assume it's the latter."

"So THAT'S how he's controlling Auron!" Sora exclaimed.

"What a jerk!" Donald quacked. Kiera rolled her eyes. "Well, this IS the Lord of the Underworld we're messin' with, here. 'Jerk' is in his job description."

"He'd probably think that was a compliment, Donald," Goofy agreed.

"I can't stand seeing Auron do that low-life's bidding...We've got to help him!" Sora said determinedly.

Kiera groaned and drooped. "I was afraid...yet _expecting_...that you would say that."

Auron then walked right by them, and Sora reached out to him, but he seemed to not notice. "C'mon, let's follow him!"

Goofy and Donald nodded, and Kiera whined to herself before stomping after them.

* * *

Once outside, Auron hadn't gotten very far. Sora had just reached him, so Kiera ran over to them. She didn't want to miss anything, just in case Sora decided to do something stupid that called for her help. But then Auron hopped into a boat, Panic and Red Dude in it as well, heading for the Underdome it looked like.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Hercules asked, walking up to them. Sora DID seem rather disturbed by the turn of events. Kiera mentally sighed. _You care way too much for people, you know that? Stop making yourself so sad all the time..._

"Auron's in trouble! It's like Hades brainwashed him!" Sora replied to Hercules.

Goofy nodded. "He's using some kind of a statue!"

"You know something? That sounds kinda familiar..." Herc said thoughtfully. They all blinked at him, waiting. "Hades may be using the statue to hold Auron's free will hostage."

"What do we do?"

"See if you can find that statue. It's GOTTA be somewhere in the Underworld!"

Sora nodded, but then Hades popped up out of nowhere, putting an elbow on Kiera's head. "HEY!" she protested loudly.

"Hey there, Short Stuff. Perfect height, you are. Don't tell me you're thinking of leaving! You've got a match coming up!" he informed Sora.

Kiera's temple was throbbing more and more by the second, "Short Stuff" ringing in her ears. "_I'll_ fight Auron in the final. One-on-one!" Hercules announced confidently.

"Oh, you _will_?" Hades said, turning and walking a little ways away to consider. "I'll draw things out to buy you time," Herc whispered to Kiera and Sora.

"But –" Sora protested, but was cut off by Wonderboy. "Just hurry back. I know you can do it!"

"Congratulations! You've got yourself a deal," Hades said suddenly, and Herc met him halfway to shake his hand. "Thanks."

"On _one _condition! The Keyblade wielder, his little girlfriend, and their friends have to meet the winner in one final clash. Whaddya say?"

"THAT'LL drive the crowd wild," Herc said with a slight hint of dreariness.

"It'd better. I promised the crowd the event of their afterlives!" Hades replied, hopping into the boat that had arrived. Hercules boarded the boat as well.

Kiera was standing there fuming. "'Little girlfriend'? LITTLE girlfriend! HOW DARE YOU!"

Sora sweatdropped. "That's really kinda sad. The thing that upsets you the most is the 'little' part."

She shrugged. "I'm _used_ to the 'girlfriend' part."

"You SHOULD be used to being called short, too, considering nearly everyone you've met so far has called you something along those lines."

"...SIT."

_**THUD.**_

"Okay, I probably deserved that just a little."

"At least you're honest with yourself!" she said cheerfully, returning the wave Herc was giving them. Then she huffed as they headed for the Underworld. "Stupid dead guy messed up my hair with his damn elbow," she muttered as she moved random strands of hair around.

Sora sweatdropped and shook her hair with both his hands, making her shout in protest. "There. Now it looks messy, as always. Happy?"

She glared up at him through her bangs, not even bothering with blowing them out of her face.

"Ecstatic."

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWO****HOURS LATER...**_

They finally entered Hades' Chamber, strolling in casually. Sora spotted something and ran over to a platform, picking up the Auron figurine. "Got it!" he announced triumphantly.

Suddenly, Sora was surrounded by the electric-y blood-red powder stuff just like Auron had been. "Whoaaaaahhh!"

Goofy grabbed him, causing him to get that electrocuted look as well. "WHOOOAAA!"

"What's going on?" Donald quacked after grabbing onto Goofy and the same thing happening to him.

Kiera shook her head, sweatdropped majorly. "Y'all are idiots, THAT'S what's going on."

_"It is not too late! Let us turn back!" _said some random voice in Kiera's head.

_"But I...I cannot accept this-"_

_"Where is the sense in all this? But...there must be another way!"_

_"Your deaths will mean nothing! You must live!"_

The voices were overlapping, seemingly belonging to two people. She thought she'd heard Auron's at one point, but they were all spoken so close together that it was hard to tell which voice was which.

"_I _get it," Sora said after looking at the ceiling for a few moments. "This is what belongs in Auron's heart!"

"Gawrsh, he musta had a really harsh life!"

"Yeah...but in the end, that's really what made him stronger."

"Let's give it back!" Donald declared, and they turned around to see they were surrounded by...

"Nobodies? Where did _they _come from?" Sora asked in annoyance. Kiera sighed and summoned a frying pan. "Where do they USUALLY come from? ...Karma probably sent them for something."

They fought them off, and Kiera noticed through her peripherals that Sora's skill had improved exponentially since she'd met him. As if to confirm her observation, he and Donald teamed up to do some kind of random attack during which he and his upgraded Keyblade did several attacks while somersaulting mid-air, killing five Nobodies with one swipe.

That was another thing; he'd explained that his Keyblade, just like the other Keyblades, have a main appearance and power that can be modified differently with certain Keychains or Gears the Wielder collects.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized that, despite defeating them all, more Nobodies were ready to fight them a little ways off in the cave.

"Hey, go away!" Donald quacked at them. Kiera sweatdropped as they advanced. "If only it were that simple –" She was interrupted when little Cerberuses, the Hell Dogs, started attacking the Nobodies by biting their heads off.

"Not what I had in mind, but I'll take it!" Sora said happily.

"We'd better skedaddle!" Goofy commented. The guys nodded, and Sora rolled his eyes before grabbing Kiera's wrist and dragging her out as she continued to laugh uncontrollably at the little dogs.

When they got out of the cave, Red Dude was the first to talk to them. "Ha! Hercules must be screaming for mercy by now! ...What, did you come to see him lose, too?"

Kiera's temple throbbed. She looked at Sora, and Sora looked at her. "'Let's do this'?" she suggested.

He nodded, striking a heroic pose. "Sounds good. LET'S DO THIS!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER**__**...**_

"Looks like we got here just in time," Kiera noted as they saw Auron about to cut Hercules in half. The latter was currently grabbing the former's sword with his bare hands, trying to push it away from him.

"Auron, no!" Sora shouted. Kiera handed Sora the Auron figurine, and he held it up so the haori-wearer could see it. "Hey, Auron! This belongs to you!" Donald called out to him.

Sora chunked it towards him like a football, and it turned into fireworks right above Auron's head, raining down on him. Kiera watched with wide eyes. "Eeeeepiiiiccc," she said in an awed tone. She had always loved fireworks, so what?

Herc carefully let go of the sword, and Auron let it fall to the ground between him and Hercules before rising and striking that straight-backed heroic pose that seemed so common among dudes lately.

"Sora. Donald. Goofy. ..." he hesitated, obviously not knowing what Kiera's name was. Her temple throbbed. "...Kiera?"

"Yes, that's it. Kiera."

"AURON!" her friends exclaimed happily, and she waved at him. "Welcome back."

"Why those LITTLE –" Hades fumed, making Kiera's temple throb all over again. "There he goes with the 'little' title again..."

"Ugh, PRISONER! What happened to our mutual agreement?" Hades demanded to know. "I can give you a clean slate, but you gotta work with me!"

"Maybe you didn't hear me. This is my story, and you're not part of it," Auron said in an admittedly epic tone, scowling at Hades.

He literally went up in flames, disappearing. Kiera sweatdropped. "That's _one _way to storm out." But then he reappeared right in front of her, and Sora pulled her back as per usual as he flame up again. "That's IT! This game is over. I've played by the rules so far. Okay, I confess! I was hoping Wonderboy would lose, but it was still a fair fight. C'mon, is that really so wrong? Huh?"

"Really? A _fair fight_!" Sora said in a tone that caused even Kiera to snicker.

"Fine, FINE! Laugh, laugh, laugh all you want! Hee-hee-hee-hee-HUH...'Cause the laughing's about to stop. Wanna know why? Because now we're gonna play by _my _rules." The gate behind him opened to reveal the Pool of Souls, and Meg appeared beside Hades. "Meg!" Herc exclaimed as she hovered further away from them, until she was above the Pool of Souls. "Hercules!" she called out urgently.

"Hey, I warned you right at the get-go. You don't compete, you lose the girl." With that, Hades snapped his fingers, and Meg dropped into the Pool.

"No! Meg! Hold on!" Herc called out, having ran towards the edge of the Pool. He dove in.

"Looks like Wonderboy has dropped out of the standings."

"Well, you've still got US to deal with!" Sora exclaimed. Hades disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing behind them. "Ohhh, yeah. This is gonna be good."

Kiera popped her knuckles ominously before summoning a dodgeball. "Got that right."

* * *

After some fireworks from Donald, aerial maneuvers from Sora, and a slash from Auron, Hades picked earwax out of his ear and laughed. "We can't win!" Sora exclaimed.

"How come?" Donald quacked in disappointment.

"Because it's _his _Underworld," Auron answered.

"Gee, then how do we beat him?" Goofy asked.

Suddenly, Hades turned towards the Pool as a voice rang out. "I think a _true_ hero should be able to help." Hercules was glowing golden, carrying Meg honeymoon style.

"But...you...!" Hades protested. "I owe you one, Hades," he replied. "I didn't hesitate to give my life for Meg's. And then, I remembered: A true hero is measured by the strength of his _heart_."

He set Meg down carefully, smiling at Sora and Kiera. "I'll never forget that again."

"Just no more crazy stunts," Sora replied with a laugh.

Hades leaned toward Sora. Kiera stood on her tiptoes and leaned towards them to hear it as well. "People _always _do crazy things when they're in love," he told Sora with a smile and wink. Sora and Kiera looked at each other, then at their friends, and for whatever reason they all saw it funny and started laughing. It was fun to laugh again.

"What is so FUNNY, you imbeciles!" Hades demanded to know, fists clenched at his sides. "How dare you get a happy ending! How DARE you!" he fumed, flaming up again.

Sora looked at Kiera.

Kiera looked at Sora.

He just nodded, and she smirked mischievously. "Can I borrow your back?"

"By all means."

She grinned at him and hopped onto his back, closing her eyes. Within moments, she was on Hades' back, which he didn't like one bit. "Hey, I don't recall renting out my back to _you_, Short Stuff," he commented, trying to throw her off of him. Kiera locked her legs around him as hard as she could, hitting him repeatedly with the dodgeball. "GO, GO, GO!" she shouted at the others, who tried to attack Hades.

He simply chuckled, disappearing and reappearing a few feet away from the others. "Flame on," he stated. Kiera immediately felt herself growing unbelievably hot, and Goofy sniffed the air. "That's a really odd smell," he commented.

Kiera made weird "Oooh oooh OOOHHHHH!" noises, teleporting off his back. "Stop, drop, and roll, Kiera!"

"Thanks, Sora, but I kinda already knew that!" she shouted back, rolling on the ground to get the flames off her clothes. After succeeding (and Sora blocking the attacks Hades tried to land on her while she was otherwise engaged), her temple throbbed.

"BASTARD!" she shouted at Hades, summoning a fire extinguisher. While she sprayed _that _all over him, Sora and Hercules attacked him with Aura Spheres.

Finally, Hades clutched his chest and staggered back. He disappeared right before Sora could strike the finishing blow, reappearing at the edge of the Pool of Souls. "It's...not over...yet..." he managed to get out. But then he fell rather ungracefully into the Pool.

Sora smirked. "He almost took as long as _you _did when you fell earlier," he informed Kiera. She couldn't keep herself from turning bright red at the very THOUGHT of what had happened "earlier".

"...Sit."

_**THUD.**_

"What'chya gonna do now?" Donald asked Auron, obviously used to Kiera's punishment. Sora obviously WASN'T, considering how loud he groaned.

"I lived my life defending others. But now...there's no one left to protect. Maybe...it's time to shape my own story," he said thoughtfully.

"Yeah...You deserve it, Auron – after everything you've been through," Sora replied, having stood back up while Kiera fought the blush in her cheeks back down.

He chuckled slightly. "I suppose I should thank you."

"Not at all."

"Fine," he said simply as he turned away from them, making the guys droop. Kiera, however tapped her foot. "Hey, he doesn't speak for me! You can thank _me_!"

"I suppose he doesn't. In that case...thank you."

"No problem!" she said cheerfully, making Sora's temple throb.

"I mean, sure, you could thank us a _little_..." Sora commented.

"You should say what you mean." He turned to look at them just in time to see Kiera sticking her tongue out at Sora, whose temple started throbbing all over again. "I guess I could spare a few words. ...Thanks for meddling."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Sora demanded to know, but Auron simply walked off. Kiera summoned a dictionary, flipping to the right page and reading to him. "Ah. 'Meddling: Interfere in or busy oneself unduly with something that is not one's concern.' You ARE the master at that, Sora," she said matter-of-factly, snapping the book shut innocently.

Auron chuckled to himself at that one.

* * *

"Thanks again, guys. You're the best," Herc commented as they walked to the center of the coliseum to meet him and Meg.

"Excuse us for meddling!" Donald quacked defensively.

Meg bent down to his level. "Aww, sounds like someone's feathers are all ruffled! ...I'm kidding," she said with a chuckle. "Thank you, Sora, Kiera, Donald, Goofy."

"So where you guys heading next?"

Sora crossed his arms. "Aw, you know. You two lovebirds seem to be getting along juuuust fine without _us _hanging around."

The two instantly jumped and put some distance between each other, making Kiera snicker to herself. "Yeah, we gotta go," Donald agreed.

"Uh-huh, before we start _meddlin'_," Goofy added.

"Right."

"Are you turkeys tryin' to put me out of a job?" Phil demanded to know, walking towards them. "If you keep acing every challenge, Champ, who am I gonna train?"

"Aw, you can't abandon me now, Phil! I gotta be at the top of my game in case Hades shows up again!" Herc replied, flexing his muscles. Meg rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Hey, are _we _true heroes yet?" Donald asked excitedly, getting in Phil's face before pointing a thumb towards himself.

"Yeah! C'mon, Phil, how 'bout it?" Sora asked eagerly, making Kiera sweatdrop.

"Well, lemme see here...you're not wise enough...Not quite...seasoned enough..."

"Okay, okay, we get the hint!" Sora interrupted.

"Hey, it's not my call, kid!" Phil said defensively.

"Aw, phooey!" Donald whined.

"'Course if it was, you'd have no problem," he added matter-of-factly, back turned to them. "I'd make you all heroes, in a heartbeat!"

"Really?" Sora asked eagerly.

"Say it again!" Donald urged.

Phil turned to look at them, then turned back away. "On second thought...If those are your 'hero' faces, you still got a lotta work to do!"

"Hey, what do ya mean?"

"Go away!"

"Phiiiil!"

"Leave me alone!" Phil shouted, continuing to run away. Kiera watched with a sweatdrop, then lots of laughter as Donald and Sora chased after him.

"Hey, see that?" Meg said thoughtfully. Kiera turned to look at them. Meg was pointing at the sky, and Hercules looked up at it too. "Well, what do you know..."

They all looked up in the sky and saw stars moving around. Kiera and Sora tried to jump up and grab them, not able to help themselves, and ended up tripping on each other's feet. They started laughing, having fallen flat on their asses, but then Goofy poked the tops of their heads.

"Look!"

The laughter trailed off as they looked up at the stars, which had formed a picture. It had Goofy with his hand to his eyes as if searching for something, Donald casting a spell with his staff, Sora striking a heroic pose, and Kiera giving a thumbs-up. Sora and Kiera were back to back in the picture, and their grins were almost as big as the ones they were wearing in real life.

"...Epic," Kiera commented in an awed voice. Sora held out his hand, helping her stand up. "Bet you never saw stars like THAT back home."

She smiled. "No, can't say I have."

And as they all looked at the stars a little longer, Phil pointing out random constellations, Kiera decided she was missing home less and less.


	33. Hot & Cold & Kairi: Greeeeat!

**Back again! Thanks for the reviews and alerts and faves, again. Keep 'em coming! :D**

**Christmas is almost here! YAAAYYY! So, in honor of that, our friends will be drawing closer to it as well! So...NEH.**

**Well, read, review, review a lot more, and then some MORE, and ENJOOOOY! 8D**

* * *

Sora sweatdropped as Kiera continued to count off something on her fingers, looking up at the ceiling of the Gummi Ship and mouthing to herself. Finally, he asked a question that only someone with a ton of guts and medicine for headaches should ask someone like Kiera.

"...What're you doing?"

Her reply?

"Sh."

He sweatdropped again. "Did you just-"

"Sh, before I lose count."

"Count of _what_?"

"SHHHH! ...Wait, Sora, how many weeks are in a month?"

"...Four," he replied slowly with a sweatdrop. _Jeez, I thought she was __**smart**__..._

"Oh, right! Forgot. Was this year a leap year?"

"I don't think so. Wait, how should _I_ know, I was asleep for at least a year!" he pointed out exasperatedly.

Kiera glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then shrugged. "I don't know. I just figured I'd ask."

"NO, it's not a leap year," Donald replied from the other room, obviously trying to prevent another of their random and hopelessly stupid fights.

Kiera nodded and continued her weird counting and mouthing before finally sighing and slumping in her seat. "Great. I was _afraid_ my counting was right..."

"What?"

"NOT ONLY has Halloween passed, but it's only about...I think four or five days until Christmas."

Sora's jaw dropped. He had had absolutely _no _idea they'd been on their mission that long. "SERIOUSLY?"

"Seriously," she muttered, pouting. "Can't BELIEVE I missed Halloween!"

"Technically, you didn't, because you got to dress up for it in Halloween Town," Sora pointed out. She brightened for a second, but then she slumped some more. "Yeah, but I didn't get any _candy _or anything. WHAT'S THE POINT IN THAT?"

Sora sighed and tried to think of something that could make her happier. Personally, he thought a little misery would be good for her, considering how many times she'd made HIM miserable. But at the same time, he could literally _feel_ her sadness, and he didn't like it. It made his chest feel heavy.

Then Goofy shouted, "WE'VE LANDED!". The two teens exchanged a look before trudging out after their other two friends.

...The look on Kiera's face when she found out where they were? Utterly priceless. "Huh?" Donald quacked as they saw a tall guy in red bending over to pick something up. Kiera gasped all dramatic-like and ran over to him, glomping him.

"JACK SKELLINGTON! OHMIGOD, I CAN DIE HAPPY, I'VE SEEN YOU _AGAIN_!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Hey, look at that. A Christmas miracle."

She gave him a dirty look and said rather innocently, "Sit."

_**THUD.**_

"Dammit."

"Ah! Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kiera! It's so wonderful to see you again!"

"_I'll _say!" Kiera said happily, still latched onto him.

"Perfect timing, gentlemen! ...And lady. Lend me a hand, won't you?" he asked, waving the presents in his hand for emphasis. Jack walked towards Sora, who sweatdropped after realizing Kiera was currently holding onto his bony leg happily. "Kiera, the hell are you doing!"

"So happy," she said, obviously in her own little world. Sora sighed and shook his head, but he couldn't keep his smile from showing.

"These presents must belong to Sandy Claws. So I thought I'd better return them."

Sora crossed his arms. "You just _happened _to find them?"

"Of course, Soraaa," he replied, poking Sora's cheek with a bony fingertip. "I'm finished with Christmas fantasies, you know tha-at!" he exclaimed, standing and walking towards the entrance to Christmas Town.

Kiera poked Sora's shoulder, scaring the crap out of him since he hadn't realized she was there. "What's with the suit, then?" she wondered, pointing at Jack's outfit.

Sora had to look away quickly to compose himself, since he had ALSO not realized her outfit had changed again. He hated that cat outfit. It was...okay, admittedly hot. But it made her look so hot that it wasn't even FAIR, just not FAIR! _I mean, dammit, she looks bea- ...distracting...enough on her own without that outfit enhancing it!_ he thought with a huff.

"B-But you thought you'd hold on to the suit?" Sora managed to ask Jack, clearing his throat. Damn Kiera.

He stopped to turn and look at them. "What, this? It's _just _a costume!" He turned back around. "And Sally worked so _very _hard making it! Come on. We've got work to do!" he said simply, continuing his walk to the tree-shaped door.

Kiera leaned towards Sora, putting a hand on his shoulder to stand on her tiptoes so she could stage-whisper in his ear, "I think he's just saying that."

He felt hot all over all of a sudden, and his stomach started flipping, but all he said was, "Probably. Might as well play along, though."

She shrugged, and he sighed after she skipped ahead to ask Jack how he'd been and whatnot.

Stupid tinglies were back.

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

Kiera followed Jack into Santa's workshop, very tempted to ask how he'd make sure she got her Christmas present when she was always traveling now. "Oh! Wherever did you _find _these?" Santa asked as Jack handed over the presents.

"In Halloween Town. You'll be needing them for Christmas, won't you, Sandy?" Jack asked matter-of-factly.

"Of course. But these are just a _few _of the Christmas presents that were stolen."

"STOLEN?" everyone repeated, jumping slightly. Everyone turned to look at Jack, whose temple throbbed. "Oh, Sandy...You don't think it was ME!"

"Still wearing the _suit_, I see?" Santa said meaningfully.

"I just thought I'd...dress for the occasion! ...But, if you don't believe me, then we'll just have to find out who REALLY did it!" he added determinedly, making everyone but Kiera jump again.

"Very well, I'll leave it to you."

"All right. Sora, Kiera, Donald, Goofy! We're off!" he exclaimed. He then walked rather slowly out of there. Kiera watched him go with a sweatdrop at his sluggish pace. Then all four of them slumped in unison, making Santa sweatdrop.

Before anything else could be said, there was a crash heard behind a nearby door. They all looked at the door before running in to see Lock, Shock, and Barrel tossing presents here and there.

"No!"

"This looks good-"

"No!"

"Booooring!"

"This one?"

"No!"

"No way!"

"HEY!" Donald quacked indignantly, making the three kids jump and look towards the door.

"So YOU three took them!" Sora accused.

"Took _what_?" Shock snapped.

"You stole the presents, _didn't _you!" Jack asked them, obviously just a little pissed. Then again, everyone DID just think it had been him a few moments ago.

"It wasn't us..." Barrel replied.

"Buuuut..." Lock said thoughtfully. "It really sounds like fun!"

"RUN FOR IT!" all three kids exclaimed, running around the room. Kiera sighed exasperatedly, and was ready to kick some ass. "Oh, it's go time."

* * *

After they had all successfully trapped Lock, Shock, and Barrel into magic boxes, Kiera stood there glowering at them. "That coulda been MY Christmas present you were tossing around, you know!"

"We're sorry!" they moaned, cowering.

"Then tell us where the presents are!" Sora replied.

"We told you, we didn't take them!"

"Then why the hell are you in here?" Donald demanded to know.

"We're looking for parts for the experiment!" they said defensively.

"Experiment?" Jack asked.

"Dr. Finkelstein's making us a friend! One we get to boss around!" they insisted.

"It's true the doctor's been hard at work making SOMETHING lately..." Jack admitted, rubbing his skull through his santa hat thoughtfully.

The three ghoulish kids stood, striding over proudly. "Besides, Christmas presents are boring! Not scary or gross...So what good are they?"

"Yeah!"

Kiera held up a finger importantly. "ACTUALLY, they could be gross or scary if you just _ask_- MMPH!" she exclaimed as Sora clapped a hand over her mouth. "You can stop talking now," he said simply, obviously not wanting to test their luck with the pranksters.

"There's nothing _fun _here, let's go to Halloween Town!" Lock whined. And just like that, they scurried off.

"So, were those pranksters responsible for taking the gifts?" Santa asked them once they had returned to his cozy office.

"It doesn't look like it."

"Then _that _means..." Santa started, but trailed off as Sally walked in.

"YAY!" Kiera exclaimed, running to glomp her as well.

"Sally!" Jack greeted.

"Oh, thank goodness! You're all here!"

"Especially me, though, right?" Kiera asked her. Sally laughed. "Of course, Kiera."

"SHE REMEMBERS MY NAME!" Kiera squealed happily, making Sora sweatdrop to the max.

"Is something wrong?" Sora asked, prying Kiera off of Sally. The latter smiled gratefully before sighing. "Oh, right. The Heartless are back in the town square. I thought you should know."

"That's our cue!" Sora said simply.

"Back to Halloween Town!" Donald agreed.

"But wait! What about finding the gift-napper?" Jack protested as they started to walk off. Sally made a weird thinking noise. "Actually...the Heartless were playing with some presents when I saw them..."

"Aha! We have our culprits!" Jack declared, pointing an accusing finger dramatically. Kiera beamed. "Well then, in that case...TALLY-HO!" she exclaimed, leading the way to Halloween Town.

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"Somebody! Anybody! I'm _only _an elected official – I can't handle this by myse-elf!" Mayor called out in his little megaphone, trying to get the Heartless to leave Halloween Town.

Kiera was the first to arrive, summoning a sharp stick with a flame in the shape of a pumpkin at the end. Sora gawked at it, and she shrugged. "Gettin' in the Halloween spirit!" she said cheerfully.

He just smiled and shook his head, summoning his Keyblade. "Sally was right. We've got to get the presents!" Jack exclaimed.

Kiera nodded. "Indeed. I'll bash their heads in, and Y'ALL grab the presents!" she announced, making everyone sweatdrop as she laughed maniacally and went to work on the poor Heartless.

Sora shook his head. "...I gotta hand it to her, she's pretty skilled with weapons."

"She could probably handle that Keyblade better than _you _could!" Donald agreed, nodding. Sora's temple throbbed. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK _THAT_?"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE****MINUTES LATER...**_

Kiera and the others stood looking at the town square after their showdown, and she watched Jack walk over to a box and pick it up. "What a shame! It looks like it was such a nice present!" he said sadly.

Sora and Kiera sweatdropped after realizing he was currently standing on the present: a doll. "Uh, Jack-" Sora started, but cut himself off as the door to Dr. Finkelstein's lab opened and out walked the scientist. Or rather, wheelied.

"Oh, help! Someone help me! My latest experiment is gone – it's been stolen!" he wailed. They followed him back into his lab, and he waited until they were by a table to continue his story. "I was juust sitting here brainstorming, when all of a sudden I was attacked! I collapsed! And when I awoke, my experiment was gone!"

"Don't worry, Doctor – _we _know who took it," Jack assured him.

Kiera blinked. "We do?" Sora sweatdropped. "Of course we do! Where've _you _been?"

"WHO?" Dr. Finkelstein demanded to know.

"The Heartless," Sora replied, making Kiera nod slowly. "Ohhh. Right, right. I knew that."

"What, those wretched things? Preposterous! This was nothing like a Heartless."

"Not the Heartless, huh..." Sora muttered, crossing his arms and thinking. Kiera beamed, pleased that she wasn't really missing anything after all.

But then she was pissed because, like everyone else, she had NO CLUE as to what was really going on. "Who else could it be?" Donald wondered.

"Say, _I _have an idea. The thief likes Christmas presents, so...we place irresistable gifts about to draw him into a trap!" Jack declared. It actually wasn't too bad an idea.

"And this miscreant is the same one who stole my experiment?"

"That's right."

"How will we know for sure?" Sora asked.

"Well, now, that's easy!" Jack answered, turning to look at Sora. "We'll scare a confession right out of him!"

Kiera flashed a cat-like grin. "_Please _say I can help do the scaring."

"Why, of _course _you can, Kiera!"

"Excellent," she said, rubbing her hands together greedily with a rather mischievous look on her face.

"Gawrsh..."

"What do you say we go along with Jack's plan, for now?" Sora asked his friends. "No problem!" Kiera answered cheerfully, and the other two reluctantly agreed.

"Let's go to Sandy's house posthaste! We've got to make some Christmas presents, quickly!" Jack announced, and off they went.

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"Have you found the Christmas presents yet?"

"Almost, Mr. Claws!"

"We're going to reel in the thief with Christmas presents as bait," Sora added.

"Would you mind if we used your factory to create a few presents?" Jack asked.

"Presents as bait? Goodness...I don't like the sound of that." There was a tense silence, and Kiera played up her brown eyes, giving Santa a rather adorable wide-eyed pout. "_Pwetty _pweeeease? With gumdwooops on top?"

"...Just this once, I suppose. It's for a good cause, after all. All right, use the second floor. And put some heart in it."

Kiera pumped her fist triumphantly, dragging Jack and Sora by their shirts. "My pout _never _fails me. LET'S GO, BOYS! DONALD, GOOFY, HAUL ASS!"

"Watch your language, Ms. Sage!" Santa called out after her, and Sora snickered. "Ha! Someone's gonna find themselves on the Naaaaughty Liiiist."

She stopped once they were at the factory, bending her head backwards to smirk up at him. "You'd know all about _that_, wouldn't you?"

He drooped, and she immediately turned her head rightside-up and summoned him a cookie bigger than his fist. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! Here!"

An elf sweatdropped at the sight. "Ummm...you're here to make presents, right?"

"RIGHT!" Kiera said happily, summoning her iPod and putting it on Funhouse. "Let's get to it!" With that, she breezed through the wrapping process while dancing around. "I dance around this empty house! Tear us down, throw you out! Screamin' down the halls...Spinnin' all around and now we fall!"

Some time passed, and finally they were on the ninetieth present out of a hundred. "I'm crawlin' throuuuugh the doogieee door! My keys don't fit my life no-o mo-ore! I'll chaaange the drapes, I'll breeeaak the plaaates! I'll find a new place – burn this su-cker down!" she belted out, wrapping paper going everywhere. She decided sensoring it would be in her best interest since she was surrounded by Santa's elves.

"Ah-HA! Done!" she announced happily, Sora holding up the last present. She had a feeling his smile had more to do with just finishing the wrapping. He always smiled when she sang or danced, whether he knew it or not. But she did.

"Not quite," Jack informed them.

"What? _Seriously_? There's _more_?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"Don't worry, _I'll _take care of the rest..." Jack said simply. Kiera and Sora exchanged a shrug, heading back to talk to Santa.

_**

* * *

**_

_**A****FEW MINUTES LATER...**_

"Did you finish wrapping all the presents?" Santa asked.

"Yup, just waiting for Jack," Sora replied.

"So, uh, where do ya think we should leave 'em?" Goofy asked the Big Man In Red. "Hmmm...Oh! _I _know a good spot! Whenever you're ready, just say the word."

"I'm back!' Jack said suddenly, making Kiera jumped so bad she nearly fell on her ass. She coughed, pretending that was the reason she'd jerked. "So, um, we ready?"

"Yep. Let's go!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"This plaza should work well for your plan..." Santa said matter-of-factly as they looked around the snow-covered plaza of Christmas Town. "Now, Jack. What IS your plan?"

"Oh, I've got it all figured out!"

"You do?"

"Of course! And I also have a wonderful idea. If we catch the thief for you, I would be HONORED to deliver the-" Sora covered his mouth quickly, and Jack spazzed out. "Aaaand on THAT note, we'll be going!" he said with nervous laughter.

Kiera giggled and helped them lead Jack away from Santa.

"What -mmph- are you -mmph- doing? Let -mmph- me -mmph- go!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS**** LATER****...**_

"Quit kicking!"

"It's not ME, Donald!" Goofy protested.

"KIERA!"

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS ASSUME IT'S M- MPH!" Kiera huffed moodily against Sora's hand. She hated it when he interrupted her like that.

"Paaaatience, friends," Jack said from across the way.

"Shhh!" Sora hissed. They were currently wrapped inside a giant wrapped present.

"I _said _cut it _out_!" Donald quacked before promptly having a quick tantrum in which Kiera was worried the box would tip over.

"Gawrsh, was that _you_?" Goofy asked, making Kiera sweatdrop.

"How come WE have to be the bait?" Sora wondered.

"How come I have to be squished up against YOU?" Kiera wondered moodily. She was currently practically -no, _literally_- in Sora's lap, due to being the smallest. Jack had been worried she'd be crushed, so he insisted, and we quote, "Sora assist the young lady by offering her his lap!".

"Good plan, eh?" Jack said cheerfully, making the whole group sigh. She let out an extra-heavy sigh, letting her head fall against Sora's chest. "I'm tired," Kiera muttered defensively.

"Sh!"

Temple throbbing, she pinched Sora's side, making him jolt in surprise. "OW!"

"DON'T SHUSH ME!"

"THAT WASN'T EVEN _ME_, KIERA, THAT WAS DONALD!"

"...Oh. Sorry," she said innocently, a bit of a giggle slipping out. He sighed heavily, banging his head against the wall of the giant present. "Nooo problem."

Kiera closed her eyes, wondering how long she'd be stuck here waiting. Suddenly, she felt his fingers playing with her hair again. "What the hell're you doing now?" she asked, wishing he would quit it before she started liking it too much.

"Am I making you nervous?"

"Of course not."

"You're a sucky liar, let's try again. Am I making you nervous?"

"...Yes," she said grudgingly with a huff.

"Good. Call it even," he said simply. After a few moments, she realized to her horror that she was purring. Fricking purring! _Stupid cat costume. Speaking of which, my tail **really **hurts,_ she thought as she salvaged her now-crooked tail out from underneath her. In doing so, her hand _and _the tail inadvertently brushed against a certain..._area _of Sora's pants. Kiera felt the blush rising in her cheeks after feeling his whole body shiver and his fingers reflexively curl up in her hair, but decided if he hadn't said anything about it yet he wouldn't say anything at all, and let herself drift off.

The hair-playing went back to normal. The purring recommenced.

Maybe waiting wasn't too bad after all. Jack DID make a good plan! Suddenly, as if to ruin her happiness, Kiera heard rather ominous thudding.

"Please tell me that slow thudding noise is your heart or something," Kiera whined quietly.

"Nah, _that _beating's too slow. My heart's going kinda fast right now." She could've said something about that, but didn't. Instead, they popped out of the top of the present. "Gotchya!" she and Sora shouted.

Standing before them was... "Huh? The hell is that?" Kiera wondered.

"Dr. Finkelstein's _experiment _did it!" Jack accused, pointing at the contraption. Kiera nodded. "Oh. I knew that."

And with that, she summoned a giant monkey wrench, using her newfound cat agility to spring out of the present and latch onto the robot. "Well then, let's take care of business!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**PLENTY****OF MINUTES LATER...**_

The contraption spun a little spastically before collapsing, a rather ghostly aura-like smoke surrounding it before taking to the sky and vanishing.

"We did it! The mystery is solved!" Jack exclaimed happily. They heard sleighbells as Kiera and Donald exchanged a fistbump at their handiwork (her monkey wrench and his magic had done the most damage overall), and Santa showed up with his sleigh. "Did you catch the thief?" he asked, strolling towards them.

"Naturally!" Jack replied, making Kiera snort a laugh.

"I just can't figure out why the doctor's experiment would go around stealing Christmas presents," Sora said thoughtfully.

"Experiment?" Santa repeated.

"The thief! It was a moving puppet made by Doctor Finkelstein," Jack explained.

"Hmmm...the doctor's made a moving puppet. I see...he _is _always tinkering with things." He turned to look at them. "Listen, Jack. I wish to thank you, and while delivering presents is something only _I _can do...I CAN give you an idea of what it's like," he told Jack.

The Pumpkin King brightened, striking a pose that Kiera could only describe as a "Squee! Pose". "Ohhh, Sandy Claws!" He jumped into the sleigh happily, practically bouncing in his seat.

Santa walked over to the defeated experiment. "Yes, all that poor puppet wanted was a heart," he said soberly.

"Ho ho ho!" Jack called out happily as the reindeer took off. Kiera watched with a smile, wondering what it felt like.

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"Interesting! So the puppet wasn't stolen _after _all!" Dr. Finkelstein exclaimed. They were back at his lab, talking to him on the street. Kiera had to wonder how the hell he got down those stairs of his. "It simply ran away! In other words, my experiment was an overwhelming success!"

"Santa Clause thinks maybe it left because it wanted a heart," Sora commented.

"That's quite possible. Unlike my _Sally_, it wasn't _equipped _with a heart." And with that, he turned towards the big-ass stairs and rolled towards them.

"But if it wanted a heart, why was it going around stealing all those Christmas presents?" Sora wondered.

"Maybe because...presents are a way to give your heart to someone special," Sally explained, walking towards them.

Sora made a Thinking Face, and Kiera looked to catch a glimpse of Finkelstein going up the stairs, only to find that he had already gone inside. _Dammit, another opportunity missed thanks to Sora distracting me._ "Hmm...When you put it that way, I feel sorta bad for it," he said. Kiera nodded in agreement. They heard sleigh bells, and down dropped Jack.

"Happy Halloween!" Santa called out, and snow began to fall. Kiera gasped, not used to snow from her days in Memphis. Sure, they got it every couple years or so, but never like _these_ snowflakes! She stuck out her tongue happily. "What a lovely present," Sally commented as Kiera stuck her tongue back inside her mouth like a normal person when Sora started smirking.

"I don't _understand_! There's no box, no ribbons!" Jack exclaimed.

"Jack, it's not about the box or the ribbons. It's about what's _inside _the box!"

"No, Sora. What _really _counts – what's _really _special – is the act of _giving _the gift. To wish deep in your heart to make someone ELSE happy," Sally said somewhat dreamily, looking up at the sky.

Kiera had a thought at that one, and suddenly got an idea. But she wouldn't act on it, not just yet.

"Right...of course! Thank you, Sally, you're absoutely right! Wait...what's this? I feel so strange! So very happy!" Jack announced, stretching his arms towards the sky.

"Jack, that must be _Sally's _present!" Goofy exclaimed.

"Really? This wonderful feeling?" he asked in disbelief. He strode over to Sally, taking her hands in his. "Oh, Sally! You've given me the nicest present in the world! And I've nothing to give you in return! What would you like? Just name it. Absolutely anything."

She moved her hands so that they were on top of his instead, lowering them a little. "The nicest present I could ever ask for, Jack, is just to be with _you_."

Donald covered his eyes, Goofy did some kind of weird maneuver while holding both sides of his face, Sora _scratched _his face, and Kiera flashed a toothy cat-smile. "Awwww."

"You don't even have to _ask_ for that!" he exclaimed, picking her up Honeymoon Style and jumping over to a random part of the Halloween Town plaza, starting to dance with her.

"Maybe I never gave her a _real_ present after all," Sora said thoughtfully.

"Who?" Donald asked.

"Aw, I bet Kairi would like most anything you gave her!" Goofy assured him, hands plopping onto his shoulders.

"I know. _That's _what made it so hard to decide!"

"It's not the gift, it's what's in your heart!" Donald insisted.

"My heart?"

"You bet, Kairi's like Sally!" Donald replied. _What, lucky? _Kiera wondered with a temple throb. She had no idea why her stomach was churning so angrily, but it was. And she didn't like it one bit.

"How?"

"Well, as long as she can _be _with you, what else does she need?" Goofy asked. Sora stared off in thought at that one before laughing to himself. Kiera was busy balancing on the edge of the ghoulish fountain, walking like a tightrope-walker, not wanting to meddle and trying to get the anger to subside.

Besides, what did _she _know? _She'd _never been in love before. She wasn't even sure what it _felt like_, really. Apparently it felt _really _good. Then she remembered her idea. "Oh! Guys, I'll be _right _back! Meet y'all on the Gummi Ship!" she said suddenly, anger forgotten, before teleporting. _Take me to wherever Santa is!_

* * *

He was in his office, eating some cookies and checking his Naughty and Nice Lists for what _had _to be the bazillionth time. _Perfect!_ He peered up through his glasses at her. "Why, hello again. What can I do for you, Ms. Sage?"

She cleared her throat, which had somehow gotten dry. "U-Um...I was hoping...maybe...you could...put Sora on the Nice List? Please?"

He nearly dropped his cookie. "What was that? Put someone on the Nice List? I can't do that without good cause, my dear!"

Kiera sighed exasperatedly. "C'mon, Santaaaa! The guy's saved the world, TONS of worlds, at least once! Now he's trying to do it a second time, and he's succeeding epically! And he most definitely believes in you! So...could you consider it my...I can't believe I'm actually about to say this, but...could you make _that_ my Christmas present?"

He really DID drop his cookie that time. "My dear...Are you telling me _that's_ all you want for Christmas, with all your heart? To put Sora on the Nice List?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I...guess it is," she said with a laugh. "Now that I know about being a Gatekeeper, I can summon whatever I want anyways. ...Besides. I'm supposed to look after Sora, after all. That's what Gatekeepers do. So shouldn't I put _his _happiness before my _own_? ...I mean, it's _just_ me giving up my present for the year," she said with a shrug.

Santa was smiling at her. "No, it seems to me like it's _much_ more than that. Something wonderful you have for Sora, my dear. Something strong, and still growing. I must say, I've never gotten a request like this before! I guess, if that's what you really want, I can make it happen."

"Will he get a present _this_ year?" she asked hopefully.

"I _think_ we can manage. I'm just glad you caught me _now_, four days until Christmas! Otherwise, it would've been too late!" he said with a laugh, scribbling on both lists with his pen.

"Sora – Nice," he said as he wrote on the second list. Kiera smiled and waved to him. "Well, until next year, Santa!"

And with that, she teleported back onto the Gummi Ship.

* * *

She landed right on top of Goofy, who crashed to the ground with a yowl of surprise. "YOW!"

Kiera giggled despite herself, getting up and helping him to his feet. She was now in her normal clothes, which was a bit disappointing. Sora poked his head around the corner before running over. "_There _you are! _Jeez_, I was worried, I had no idea where you were!"

Kiera sweatdropped. "Sora, I_ told you _I'd be back."

"_I _didn't hear you say that!" he protested.

Her temple throbbed. "Not _my_ fault you were too busy daydreaming about your beloved Kairi to notice little old me vanishing. But I'm here _now_, so...so..."

"Rawr?"

She found herself smiling, and hated him for it. "...Yeah. Rawr. And stop sounding like such a _momma_!" she added for extra measure.

_Stupid Kairi. Getting him all distracted like that. One of these days, he's gonna get himself seriously hurt or even killed because of that chick. And I'm gonna kill her for it if that happens, so she better stay out of his mind for a while._

She sighed to herself as she headed for the cots. "Chyeah. Like _that'll_ happen. That'd be too convenient, him not worrying me sick like that."

Then she heard Chip. "What's that? That big..._thing_?" he asked. Kiera ran back to the navigation room of the Gummi Ship to see a world that looked pretty..._odd_, that was basically the only way to sum it up. It was dark, and it looked like a town turned upside-down. _Hey, that kinda rhymes! _

"Maybe _that's _the source of the weird reading we picked up before!" Dale answered.

"And there's something funny about Twilight Town. I see _two _of 'em!" Chip exclaimed.

"Look! It's _another _huge energy reading! And it's coming from someplace near the town," his brother pointed out.

"The hell's going on?" Kiera wondered.

"I dunno, fellas, but it sure looks like there's some big trouble brewing around Twilight Town!" Chip answered.

Kiera sighed and stalked off. "IT'S _WAAAAYY _TOO CLOSE TO CHRISTMAS FOR ALL _THIS _CRAP!"


	34. Pridelands, Hearts, & Sora's Plan!

****

Back again! Christmas is getting closer and closer, for our friends AND for us back in reality! Yay!

**The next chapp shall be a Christmas chapp, since I realized the next world not cleared of Heartless is STILL the Pridelands, so I might as well make a time skip anyway. So what better time skip than Christmas Break or something, riiiight? X)**

**So read, review, review some more, and enjoooooy! :D**

* * *

When they landed in the next world, Kiera felt a _lot _shorter. "Hey, check us out," Sora said. She did so and promptly spazzed out, squawking in surprise and falling backwards. "S-Sora, the hell! You're a...a...awwww, you look like a cute little lion cub!"

Sora sweatdropped. "...Yeah, I noticed."

"And Donald, you're a...bird...thingy...and Goofy, you're a turtle!"

"Actually, I think I'm a tortoise."

"Whatever you are! Wow, that's cool. Pretty-" she tripped over something that seemed to be attached to her, and this time she landed on her stomach. Giving her a good view of her paws.

_Wait, what? PAWS?_

"HOLY CRAP! _I'M_ A CUTE LITTLE LION CUB!" she exclaimed, summoning a mirror. Her friends sweatdropped some more, and Sora shook his head as she inspected herself.

"Well, anyway...This place is kinda creepy," he said uneasily.

Kiera's fur was a shocking shade of red, with brown undertones. Her eyes were a lighter shade of brown, with the whites of her eyes looking more on the yellow side, like Sora's did. Her necklace was still dangling from her neck, and a few of her bracelets were above each paw.

She made the mirror disappear, looking around as well. It WAS pretty creepy, with all the greyish-blueish rocks and the steaming, boil-your-skin kind of hot spring in the corner. Then, out of nowhere, appeared hyenas. They were situated in every angle so that no matter where Kiera looked, there was one somewhere in her line of vision.

One of them started laughing, and Kiera's skin practically crawled. Needless to say, she was soon by Sora's side. "Heartless?" he asked no one in particular.

"I dunno, Sora. I get the feelin' they might _live_ here," Goofy replied.

"They do. They're hyenas," Kiera replied.

"Don't mind us! We don't mean any trouble, we're just passing through!" Donald said anxiously. "Yeah, exactly!" Sora agreed. Kiera nodded her head like crazy, and it was weird to not feel any hair moving with her. The only bit of her hair that remained was her bangs, which were a few shades darker than her fur.

"Don't be silly," one hyena said as it paced around them in circles. "We'd _love_ you to stick around for lunch."

"Um...we didn't bring anything to eat!" Sora said weakly. Kiera facepalmed – or rather, facepawed – herself at his statement. "Sora, you moron!"

"Heh, that's not gonna be a problem, kiddo!" another hyena sneered at Sora.

Goofy gulped. "Gawrsh...I think WE'RE the lunch!"

"That's a major possibility," Kiera agreed with a gulp herself.

"Kiera?"

"Yes, Sora?"

"Run."

"Agreed."

They did so, but Sora tripped, and so of course she skidded to a stop. "Sora, that _wasn't_ part of the plan!"

He just groaned, having landed flat on his back. Kiera knew from earlier how hard it was to get up off your back when you were suddenly a lion cub. Actually, doing _anything _after suddenly becoming a lion cub was just plain challenging. "Going somewhere?" a hyena sneered.

It bared its teeth at Sora, and Kiera found herself ramming into the hyena with her shoulder to get it away from him before snarling and baring some teeth of her own at them.

They snapped their jaws at her tauntingly, but before their threats could turn serious, they heard a lion's roar.

"Man, Scar's always got the _worst_ timing!" one hyena whined.

"Just let him roar," another replied.

"Naaaah, we better go see what he wants," he disagreed. "Sounds like he's grumpy enough already."

With a heavy sigh from the female-sounding one, they all ran off. Kiera and the others let out a collective sigh of relief. "I don't know what all _that _was about, but I'm glad it's over," Sora commented. "Everything's harder on four legs..."

"I dunno what you're talking about," Kiera replied, holding her head high importantly as she walked around. "It's easy as anyt- CRAP!" she exclaimed as she suddenly stumbled, falling right on her back with a rather comical expression.

The others started laughing. "Better start practicing, you two!" Donald said between quacks of laughter.

"I found a trick to it," Goofy told them. "Here, lemme show ya..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Okay, I've got this, I'VE GOT THIS..." Kiera muttered, concentrating hard. Sora sweatdropped majorly as she continued spinning around like an idiot, chasing her tail.

"...Kiera, you need professional help."

She huffed at him, giving up on her tail for now, and Goofy chuckled. "Maybe we should explore a little. You know, before those critters come back...!"

The two lion cubs exchanged a look before nodding quickly. "Agreed!"

They went through one path to find a lioness hissing at Heartless before running away from them some more. Kiera had a creeping suspicion it was Nala, but wasn't entirely sure.

"Are you thinking what _I'm _thinking?" Sora asked thoughtfully.

"Unfortunately? ...Probably," Kiera replied.

"Heartless?" Donald answered.

"Whadda we do?" Goofy asked. Sora bounded off towards the lioness, and Kiera sighed heavily before running after him. "I _knew _you'd do that!"

"Stay back!" he informed the lioness as Kiera summoned a sharp stick. "But of course."

_**

* * *

**_

_**NOT****LONG LATER...**_

"Being on all fours is bad-ASS!" Kiera declared, making her sharp stick disappear.

"_Definitely_ Heartless," Sora commented as to the enemies they'd just defeated. "Thank you," the lioness said sincerely. "You really saved me."

"We're just glad you're okay," Goofy replied, and Kiera nodded in agreement.

"Did you see any other Heartless around here?" Sora asked.

"Heartless...Is that what they're called?" she asked, shaking her head. "I'm not sure if there are any others...I don't usually hunt outside the Pride Lands."

"Pride Lands?"

"Hey, do you know if this guy named Riku is there?" Sora asked eagerly, and Kiera sighed with every new person he asked Nala about. "Or some bad guys in black hoods? Or maybe this really big bully named Pete?"

She shook her head, and Sora sighed in disappointment, head slumping slightly. Kiera sighed as well. She had been afraid of that. That sadness of his came crashing back into her again, but then it lightened a whole lot when he looked back at her._ Well, __**that**__**'s** odd..._

"Oh well, we might as well go take a look, anyway." Kiera nodded in agreement.

"Wait – the Pride Lands are dangerous! Scar and the hyenas have made things unbearable for everyone. There's no food left. They've driven off the prey. We're about to starve," Nala informed them, turning away.

"We can handle a little danger. You just saw us beat those Heartless, didn't you?"

"I guess you're right...You could be just what the kingdom needs. Maybe you can help us!"

"Ya mean take on this Scar guy and all those hyenas?" Goofy asked.

"Scar?" Donald repeated.

"He took over when our last king, Mufasa, died," Nala explained. Kiera cringed. That was her least favorite part of that damn Lion King movie.

"So you're saying this guy is your king...You want us to take down your _king_?" Sora clarified. Nala nodded as if it were no big thing, and Kiera saw it the same way. Justice being served and all that. "Excuse us juuuust a minute," he said politely, gesturing for Kiera to follow him.

She sighed heavily and bounded after him as he ran over to their friends, who had been standing a little ways off the whole time.

"We can't just go around knocking kings off their thrones," Sora protested once they were all together. "But what about our _moral_ obligation? He's making these poor lions starve!"

"Then again, if they see that I'm stronger than _their _king, maybe they'll ask _me _to be their next king!" Sora continued as if Kiera hadn't said anything, making her sweatdrop. "I _really_ don't like the twinkle you had in your eye when you said that..."

"Sora," Goofy warned.

He chuckled. "I'd have to refuse, of course," he said, holding his head up importantly. Kiera rolled her eyes. "At least we know you'd be doing this out of the kindness of your heart, Sora."

"Exactly!" he said brightly. "Besides, I'd still like to see the Pride Lands. So you guys don't mind lending 'em a paw, do you?"

Kiera smirked. "Sora, you say that as if we'd say otherwise."

He smirked right back, bounding over to Nala. "Uh-oh...there he goes again," Donald said as they started talking. Then Nala ran off, and he turned to look at them. "She's going ahead to tell the other lionesses. We're supposed to meet her at a place called Pride Rock."

Kiera practically squealed. "Cool! I know where that is! ...Wait, no I don't. But I'll know once we're outta this boneyard!" she said cheerfully.

Sora sweatdropped. "...Why do I have the feeling that this Pride Rock's in plain sight, and Kiera won't be the _only_ one able to see it once we're out of the boneyard?"

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

They finally made it out of the boneyard, through the Savannah, and were now on Pride Rock. They walked along to see Nala and Rafiki heading towards them. "That's him," Nala said quietly.

Rafiki crept right up in Sora's face, peering at him and stroking his white goatee. "Uh..._what_?" Sora asked him defensively, trying to put a bit of distance between them. He then peered at Kiera, Donald, and Goofy.

The lionesses woke up as he whispered something in Nala's ear. She slumped in disappointment, as did the other lionesses. "What is it?" Sora asked.

"I told Rafiki you might be able to help us force Scar and the hyenas out of the Pride Lands. But he says it won't work. You see, whoever saves the Pride Lands will be our next king...and he has to have the right qualities."

"Meaning..." Sora prompted.

"I think she's saying you're not cut out for the job, Sora," Goofy commented. He sighed in disappointment.

"I'm sorry you had to come out all this way," Nala said sincerely.

"Hey, no – it's okay," Sora assured her.

She leaned towards them, looking around suspiciously. "You'd better go before Scar finds out you're here. I'm _really_ sorry."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

They were making their way around when they ran into more hyenas. "Hey – looks like we got us a snack," one said.

"Snack? Nah, we got us a four course meal!" They started laughing and drooling, and all of a sudden there was a roar, and they looked over at Pride Rock. "Look at that, here comes Scar – the King! Heh."

Kiera squinted up at the other lion. "Is that...?"

"It's Pete," Sora confirmed, and she made a face. "I'm sorry, but Pete makes one ugly-ass lion...We look a WHOLE lot better!"

"That's not saying much, though," he agreed, and she smiled at that one.

Scar ran down Pride Rock and over to them. Pete tried to follow suit, but failed epically, tumbling down the mountain and landing on his back. "My back...!"

Sora and Kiera just shook their heads with sweatdrops at his stupidity, while the hyenas and even Donald and Goofy laughed.

"What are YOU doing here?" Sora demanded to know.

"Aww, the cute li'l kittie's worried about me," Pete cooed. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about my friends!"

"Sora!" Donald quacked, hovering.

"We're surrounded!" Goofy exclaimed, hiding under his shell as the hyenas drew nearer and nearer, looking more and more crazed with hunger.

Scar turned to the lionesses that had come down Pride Rock. "Go on, ladies – you've got some hunting to do."

"The herds have moved on, Scar. We can't hunt in a land with no prey."

"No prey? Then what do you call _this_?"

"I call this me ready to open a huge can of WHOOP-ASS on you, you little-" Sora put a paw over Kiera's mouth, making her smack her paws against his arm. "Ewww, I don't know where your paws have been, Soraaa! Wait, yeah I do: all over the dirt!"

"Nice and _fresh_ prey," Scar said simply as she and Sora promptly had a shouting match over his paws.

"They're all yours, Scar," Pete said. Their argument came to a crashing halt when Nala attacked Scar. "Run!" she shouted.

They did so, and she soon bounded ahead of them. "Follow me!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS****LATER...**_

"I'm sorry I got you involved in this," Nala said guiltily.

"It's no big deal," Sora replied. Kiera nodded. "Yeah, we get into crappy situations ALL the time!"

"Besides, it's not _your_ fault Sora wouldn't make a good king!" Donald added.

"Hey! I had to give it a try, right?" Sora said defensively.

"So you DID want to be king!" Goofy said triumphantly.

"Well...you know..." Sora said uncomfortably. Kiera just grinned.

"Uh, Nala, isn't there _anybody_ else who could be king?" Sora asked, obviously ready to change to subject just a little.

"There was...but he died...when he was just a cub. He was the son of our last king, Mufasa. If only Simba were here..."

"Nala, Simba's been alive this whole time!" Kiera blurted at the same time Sora said, "Simba's just fine! He was fighting right beside us not that long ago."

Kiera glanced at him. "He was?"

"Yep. You missed that adventure, that was a year ago."

"I kinda figured," she said with a sweatdrop.

"Wait, wait, WAIT. You mean...Simba's alive? But where is he?" Nala asked eagerly.

"_That_...I don't know," Sora replied.

"Still...Simba's _alive_! I can't believe it...Please – tell me more about him."

"Sure!" Sora said cheerfully.

"But first, we should get away from Scar. We'll go through Wildebeest Valley. He won't follow us there."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LOTS****OF MINUTES AND TONS OF HEARTLESS LATER...**_

Sora peered over the edge of the canyon, but Kiera just couldn't bring herself to do it. Nala backed up, and Kiera wondered if she was scared of heights as well.

But then she jumped across the wide gap. "Wow!" everyone exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" she called out at their hesitation. Kiera was currently hiding behind the others, paws over her eyes as she slumped against the ground.

"We're never gonna make it!" Sora called out.

Nala mumbled something, but Kiera couldn't make it out. "What?" Sora asked loudly.

"Nevermind, it's not important! ...You can do it! Here, I'll show you how." She shouted the directions out to them, and Kiera watched the others do it with ease. Sora poked the top of her head with his paw. "Hey. You go next."

"No, you."

"No, I insist."

"NO, _I_ insist!"

"Kiera, it's not THAT bad –"

"That's like saying that _Kairi dying_ isn't that bad, Sora. You have your fears, I have mine," she replied.

He paused. "Huh. You got me there. Hey, how about this. I'll go first, and that way if you don't make it, I can catch you before you fall too far. Whadda you say?"

She stared at him for a few moments, then reluctantly nodded. "Fiiiine..."

She watched him run and jump off the edge, practically flying across to the other side. _How the hell did he do that?_

"Just do as Nala said, do as Nala saaaaid...c'mon, you're slowing everyone down!" Kiera muttered to herself, tiny legs shaking as she drew nearer and nearer to the edge.

"Just..._don't_ look down!" Sora shouted over to her.

"O-Okay! ...Crap, I looked, I LOOKED SORA, I LOOKED DOWN!" she whined, hiding behind her paws briefly after accidentally looking over the edge.

After a few seconds, she slowly uncovered her face, backed up, and channeled her Inner Maka. "Jump in spite of your fear, jump in spite of your fear, in SPITE of it," she chanted to herself. With a deep breath, she was running, and she was over the edge.

Kiera didn't look down, like he had said, and skidded across the top of the other cliff after what seemed like forever of nothing underneath her but air. Sora stopped her skidding with his paw, grinning. "Told you I'd catch you."

Nala smiled at them. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Good job, you guys. We better get a move-on, just in case any more Heartless show up."

"Agreed," Sora replied, making Kiera smile at how quickly that phrase had caught on.

"When Simba's father Mufasa died, we were told that Simba died alongside him," Nala explained a little while later as they continued walking.

"Who told you that?" Sora asked.

Nala paused, and they turned to look at her. "...Scar." Suddenly, they noticed Rafiki walking to their far right. Kiera sweatdropped. "...When the hell did _he _get here?"

"It is time!" he announced, standing on a nearby ledge (which couldn't be taller than five feet) and holding up his weird staff dramatically.

"...It must be Simba! Sora, hurry!" Nala exclaimed, bounding straight ahead. How she associated _that _with Simba, Kiera would never know, but it probably was a good idea Nala had. They DID have to eventually find him in order to overthrow Scar, after all.

"Hey, wait up!" Sora called out. Kiera was already bounding after the lioness, a bit eager to see Simba herself.

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWENTY-SEVEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

They were now in the jungle, and Kiera had just helped finish off the last Heartless. They walked to a clearing to see Simba surrounded by hovering bee-like Heartless. He was poised to attack; with a single roar, all the Heartless disappeared.

"Simba!" Sora called out.

Kiera nodded slowly. "...Now THAT...was bad-ass. How come _I _can't do that?" she wondered, following Sora. She tried roaring, but all that came out were pathetic yelps. Kind of ironic, considering she was always the first to start shouting.

"I-It's me – Sora! Donald and Goofy are here, too."

"And Sora's girlfriend, Kiera!" Donald added. Kiera gave the duck a half-hearted glare before quickly turning back to Sora and Simba.

Simba walked over to them, staring at them. "Sora! Donald! Goofy!" he exclaimed before pouncing on Sora and nuzzling him.

"...And Kiera?" Kiera offered hopefully. He glanced at her and flashed a toothy grin. "And Kiera. His girlfriend, right? What happened to you guys?" Simba looked at Sora warily. "..._Please _tell me your girlfriend's not naturally a lion, but that she's a human like you."

The two teens opened their mouths to reply, but before they could, they heard Timon and Pumba let out screams. "Help! Simba! Heeelp!" Timon called out.

"She's gonna eat us!" Pumba added.

"...She? They can tell Heartless' gender?" Kiera wondered with a sweatdrop. Sora sweatdropped for another reason entirely. "Kiera, I think they mean –"

She ran off. "No time for chit-chat, let's go help!"

* * *

They ran through the jungle, slipping past the Heartless until they found Timon and Pumba. Kiera bounded through a huge fern-like plant all heroic-like to see the two funniest characters of Lion King being cornered by...Nala?

"Oh, right. Forgot that part of the movie," she muttered to herself. Simba pounced on the young beige lioness, and they started fighting.

"Simba, wait! It's Nala, don't you recognize her?" Sora shouted.

The two continued to fight until Nala ended up on top, and that's when it clicked in Simba's brain. "...Nala?" he asked in disbelief.

Her ears went straight down on her head, and she backed up. "It's me! Simba!"

She looked at him for a second before her whole face brightened. "Simba!" They did what Kiera guessed was the lion equivalent of a secret handshake (only with their heads), and circled each other.

"You _are_ alive!" she exclaimed happily.

They all watched as they continued to happily circle-dance each other. "Hey! What's goin' on here?" Timon asked, obviously dumbfounded.

He and Pumba turned around, saw Kiera and the others, and shrieked before running to Simba for protection. "It's okay, they're all friends of mine!" Simba assured them.

Timon slid away from behind Simba's front leg. "So that means...nobody's planning to eat anybody else for lunch, right?" he asked hopefully.

They all nodded. "Are you sure you don't wanna eat me, like some kind of pig?" Pumba asked, cowering in the middle of the clearing as if when he did so he was invisible.

"We won't...but you _are _a pig, right?" Sora asked carefully.

"Call me _Mr_. Pig!" he snapped, turning to look at them. Everyone started laughing, and after a few moments, Simba lowered his head to Timon's height.

"Could you leave us alone for a few minutes?" Simba asked.

"Why am I not surprised?" Timon replied; Simba and Nala promptly walked off.

_**

* * *

**_

_**A****FEW MINUTES LATER...**_

"Hakuna?" Timon called out as they continued to dance their odd little conga line.

"Matata!" they repeated.

"Hakuna!"

"Matata!"

Nala stalked past them. "He's not the same Simba I remember...something about 'Hakuna Matata'..."

Sora and Kiera exchanged a look. "...Whoops."

Simba walked by a few moments later, and they watched _him _go.

"...What now?" Kiera wondered.

"We wait."

"For what?"

"For Simba to come around, of course."

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS****LATER...**_

"Kiera. ...KIERA!" he hissed in her ear.

"Mmmph."

"Get up."

"NO."

"_I'm _getting up."

"_I _don't care," she said defiantly. Of course, once he stood and slid away, most of her warmth was gone. Yes, she had been curled against him while she was snoozing, so what?

Kiera opened one eye moodily. "...What's going on?"

"I heard a really weird noise, and everyone else went to eavesdrop on Simba, so I deduce that something important's going on," he replied.

"Tell me how it goes," she said simply, curling back up and squeezing her eyes shut tightly in hopes that it would make her fall asleep quicker.

"C'mooooon," Sora whined. She opened her eyes again and wished she hadn't; he was currently doing that thing that a lot of dogs did after rolling a ball or something to you, hoping you'd play with them. Where they have their paws outstretched in front of them and their back arched so their back half was higher, looking at you all eager-like.

There was a long silence, and finally, Kiera did a cat-like stretch of her own. "...Dammit."

"I _knew _you'd give in," he said simply as he walked off. Her temple throbbed, and she bounded after him. "_What _was that?" she hissed, but he promptly clamped a paw over her mouth, looking at something through the plants.

Temple throbbing some more, she peered through the foliage to see what was so cool...and her eyes widened.

"Holy crap, MUFASA! In the CLOUDS!" she squealed. But it came out rather muffled thanks to Sora.

_**"Remember who you are," **_Mufasa was saying. Just like that, he vanished. Simba ran closer to the edge of the rock, looking up at the sky, before saying matter-of-factly, "You can all come out now."

"Damn, we've been found out!" Kiera exclaimed as Sora removed his paw. He rolled his eyes and nudged her with his shoulder. "C'mon, might as well."

Simba turned to look at them, determination written all over his face. "I'm going back to face my past. I could use your help."

"He really IS a king..." Timon commented.

The sun rose behind him, and Kiera let out a whoosh of air. "Now THAT'S pretty climactic," she commented.

"Of course we'll help!" Sora told Simba, whose smile only grew.

"...Can we go back to sleep first?" Kiera asked with a yawn. Sora sweatdropped, but Simba tilted his head to the side. "Actually...maybe it _would _be best to wait until morning. Make sure we all have our strength."

"YES! C'mon, Sora, bedtime," she said happily, shoving him forward with her head. The others watched with sweatdrops as Kiera accused him of stepping on her tail, which he countered with the statement that SHE stepped on her OWN tail, resulting in lots of tackling and growling.

"...That _can't _be healthy couple behavior," Simba commented.

* * *

After a long while, Kiera had him pinned to the ground. "Ah-HA! Kiera one, Sora nill!" He huffed, then suddenly pinned HER to the ground with a growl. "Think again!" he replied smugly as she panted underneath him.

"...Fine. You win. And your reward is that you get to...SIT!" she exclaimed.

**_THUD._**

"...That was a really sucky prize," Sora muttered moodily, temple throbbing. "Should've thought about that _before _you got into a fight with me," she said simply. "Well, if that's not working for you, how about this?" she added, curling up next to him and closing her eyes.

"...That's even worse," he whined. Which just made her smile slightly, since he already had his head pressed against her own. "...Your heartbeat tells me otherwise," she said in a sing-song tone. She could feel it against her back, and it WAS beating pretty fast.

After a few moments, she nearly yelped in surprise when Sora licked her ear. The one he'd bit during their fight.

...Yes, their fight had been _that _rough. She had a nice little ragged hole in that ear now, one that was NOT one of her piercings.

"Wow, listen to your heart _go_," he said smugly, one of his paws having pressed against her thudding heart when she wasn't paying attention. That just made it race even more, and he laughed before removing his paw. She wished he hadn't.

"...You suck," she said simply before closing her eyes and drifting off in a matter of seconds. Stupid heart of hers, being so malfunctional like that...

_**

* * *

**_

_**THE****NEXT DAY...**_

They walked across the Savannah, Pride Rock within sight. "Wait a minute. We're gonna fight your uncle for THIS?" Timon asked as they all stood on a short ledge to scrutinize Pride Rock.

"Yes, Timon. This is my _home_," Simba replied sincerely. When they got to the Rock, Simba went up higher to stand on a cliff near Scar. Probably for dramatic effect, if Kiera had to guess his motive.

It definitely worked; Scar's face was priceless. "Simba! You're...alive!" he exclaimed, backing away.

Simba walked towards him, Kiera and the others behind him. "This kingdom doesn't belong to you," was Simba's reply.

"_Simba's _the rightful king," Nala added heatedly.

"The choice is yours, Scar. Either step down, or fight," Simba said simply, advancing towards his uncle.

"Must this all end in violence?" Scar asked. His tone suggested _he _had the upper hand, which Kiera found hard to believe since he was the one literally up against the wall.

But then he casually walked past his nephew. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a _family member_, Simba..."

"I've put the past behind me!"

"But what about your faithful subjects? Have _they_?" Scar asked.

"Simba, what's he talking about?" Nala asked carefully.

"Go on. Tell them who's responsible for Mufasa's death," Scar urged.

"...I am," Simba admitted, face to the ground.

Nala let out a gasp.

"He admits it! Murderer. If it weren't for you, Mufasa would still be alive. Do you deny it?" Scar inquired.

"No! But it was an accident!" Simba insisted.

"You're in trouble again. But this time, Daddy isn't here to save you," Scar sneered, edging him towards the edge – metaphorically _and _physically speaking.

Kiera's claws were sheathing and unsheathing. She remembered when her mom used to sneer like that if she got too drunk, back when some of the old Grace Sage was still in her; "You work too haaaard, lighten up! Little Kieraaa thinks she needs to wear the pants of the family, huuuuh?" Then she'd giggle and maybe even hiccup, or stumble, and Kiera would want nothing more than to punch her in the face.

Seeing Simba being treated like that really struck a nerve with her. "And now...everyone knows why!" Scar added, and Simba tripped, clawing against the cliff's edge.

"Now _this _looks familiar," Scar continued, standing over Simba as he struggled for grip.

"Where have I seen this before? Oh, yes. This is just the way your father looked...before he _died_." He latched his claws on top of Simba's paws, digging into them. Simba groaned, hissing in a breath.

"And here's _my _little secret..._I _killed Mufasa."

THAT'S what did it. Kiera couldn't watch any more, and prepared her body to lunge for Scar's throat, but Sora hit her upside the head with his paw. Temple throbbing, she swiveled her head to look at him. "The hell was that for?"

"Look," he said simply. So she looked; Simba had already gotten himself up, and currently had Scar pinned to the ground with one giant paw against his uncle's throat. "Murderer! Tell them the truth!" Simba demanded.

"All right. All right! I did it."

"Louder!"

"_I_...killed...Mufasa!"

The hyenas started laughing like crazy, attacking Simba. Scar took the opportunity to run off, and Kiera looked at Sora. He nodded, and she summoned a mysterious bottle. "Simba! You get Scar! _We'll _handle these guys!" Sora told Simba after running over to him.

Simba bounded off, and Kiera watched as Timon and Pumba barreled through Hyenas. "'Scuse me, pardon me, comin' through!" Timon shouted as they flew into the air.

The hyenas soon turned on them, and the two ran away. Kiera sighed. "GUYS! I'm gonna summon some weird masks for ya, but keep 'em on, alright?"

"GOT IT!" her friends yelled. "Masks?" Timon repeated. "Summon?" Pumba repeated as well while trying to get a hyena off his tail.

"Just go with it!" she shouted before summoning gas masks. After everyone had gotten one, she fumbled with the nozzle of the spray (YOU try squeezing those things with no opposable thumbs) before finally getting it, knocking the lid off and letting it leak.

Soon, the hyenas started rolling on the ground with laughter and couldn't stop. Everyone slowly stopped fighting them, and Timon gave her a look that was even funnier with his gas mask on. "What the hell did you _do_, kid?"

She smiled mischievously as one by one, the hyenas passed out from lack of oxygen. She made the gas disappear, as well as the gas masks. "...Laughing gas," she said simply.

Sora held up a paw, and she high-fived it. "Even _I _gotta admit, that's pretty brilliant."

She beamed. "I have my moments."

"Hey, where's Simba?" Sora asked suddenly.

"He went up there," Nala replied, referring to the higher cliff above them. So they all nodded at each other, and they were off.

_**

* * *

**_

_**MOMENTS****LATER...**_

They ran up there to see Simba and Scar circling each other. "Simbaaa!" Donald called out, but Sora waved a paw to shush him.

"This is his fight, Donald."

Kiera sweatdropped at the slow-motion that ensued, most likely caused by her Lion Vision. "...Nothing like epic Slow-Mo Bitch Slaps to start your morning," she said cheerfully. "Haven't gotten _that _pleasure since Jerry Springer!"

Sora sweatdropped too, but then they both perked up when Scar was thrown off the side of the cliff. "You're okay!" Sora said happily to Simba.

"Aw, that was just a sneak preview!" Pete said from behind them. They all whirled around to see the ugly lion waddling towards them. "'Cause this ain't over – not by a _long _shot!" he continued.

Kiera sighed. "Is it ever, Pete?"

He simply chuckled and pointed a paw behind them. They turned around and, after a few moments, saw Scar's paw appear on the ledge. Kiera gasped. "Oh no...oh noooo...PLEASE don't tell me..."

"Anger and jealousy turned the king of Pride Rock into a Heartless!" Pete explained proudly. "Oh, your kingdom's gonna rise again. But this time, as the Kingdom of Darkness!"

Kiera groaned. "Awww, he told me! I was afraid that's what it was!"

"That's what YOU think!" Simba told Pete, ready to face his Heartless uncle. Kiera summoned a sharpened ball point pen, one of her personal favorites. "Yeah, I'm game. Let's kick his darkness-corrupted _ass_!"

* * *

After an admittedly tough yet still awesome fight, Kiera sat on her haunches, minding her tail, with a tired sigh. "Phew! That sure took long enough."

For a second, she was worried it wasn't over after all, but then Scar flashed silver and fell over. She sighed in relief again. "Double phew! Now that Scar's dead, I feel it's safe to say...the way he said Mufasa made me want to laugh so hard. Muuu-FASA!" she recited like Scar had, which was drawing out the Muuu and saying FASA in a whisper. Sora reluctantly nodded in agreement, and Simba chuckled. "...I gotta say...it WAS kind of funny..."

They all looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

After a few minutes, they watched as Simba ascended Pride Rock and let out his Royal Roar. Suddenly, Mufasa appeared, and Kiera guessed his heart or something must have been the key, because Sora was able to open the next world.

"Hey, what was with the light show?" Timon wondered.

"We have to say goodbye for a little while," Sora replied, swiveling his head to look at them.

"I'll go tell Simba!" Pumba offered.

"Aw, he's probably busy right now. Just tell him we'll be back soon!" Goofy replied.

"Oh, that's right – he's king now," Timon commented, waving a hand dramatically. "He's gonna be so busy he'll prob'ly forget about his two best buddies!"

Sora slid up to them. "Well, you always got hakuna matata, right?" he pointed out.

"Guess so..." Pumba replied.

"Whaddaya _mean _'Guess so'? What if he forgets to tell the carnivores who we are?" Timon demanded to know. "One look at you, and you're Pig Roast!"

"That's MISTER Pig Roast!" Donald corrected.

"Same thing!" Pumba exclaimed. "And I'm not sticking around to be anybody's pork dinneeeeer!" Pumba added before spastically running off. "Pum-baaa!" Timon called out.

"You can _never _forget your true buddies," Sora said thoughtfully.

* * *

Once they were back on the ship, it took them quite a while to get used to two legs again.

As Kiera stumbled to the Cot Room, she paused to smile at Sora. "You know...for what it's worth, I think you'd be a pretty alright king one day."

He beamed at that one before a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, Kiera..._how _many days until Christmas again?"

"Three now, I think. Why?"

"Oh, no big reason."

Kiera eyed him strange, but eventually shook her head quickly and continued staggering towards a nice warm bed.

Sora poked his head out from around the corner and watched her go down the hall, trying not to laugh when she tripped over a flat surface and faceplanted. After a lot of cursing under her breath, she finally got to the Cot Room, totally oblivious to his staring.

As soon as the door shut, he staggered over to Goofy and Donald. "Hey, you guys...I got a plan."

"Plan for what? What world we go to next?" Donald asked.

Sora shook his head, a cocky smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye. "No, it's about Christmas..."

They perked up and looked around suspiciously before huddling together. "Okay, so, _here's _what we're gonna do...!"


	35. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

**Ahhh, the Christmas chapp is finally here! I literally worked on this ALLLL day yesterday! ...On and off...but still! It was hard to hunt down the Memphis references and all! Even though I live there every other week... ^^;**

**But ANYWAY. Read, Review, review some moreeeee, and ENJOY! Happy holidays to everyone, those who celebrate Christmas and those who don't! :D**

* * *

Kiera was getting suspicious. VERY suspicious. Goofy and Donald had informed them they were "taking a break" from visiting worlds for a few days.

"I mean, really. They never take breaks unless it's _absolutely_ _necessary_," Kiera muttered to herself between bites of her banana.

Where _was_ everyone, you ask? Well, the three amigos had gone off to some unknown location and had been gone since before the sun even came up. Why the sun came up if they were supposedly floating in space, she had no clue. All Kiera knew was that she was TOLD she was staying on the Gummi Ship, and Sora had threatened to drag her to Hollow Bastion and make her _stay_ there if she didn't.

So, needless to say, she stayed. She was currently sitting on the bathroom sink, eating her banana before she took her shower.

Which, since she took a shower _every_ day (kind of necessary when you were battling Heartless almost constantly), wasn't too big a deal. The BIG DEAL was that she was taking one while totally and completely alone! Finally!

"So rare, it's sad," she muttered to herself, tossing her banana peel to her left and not giving a crap where it landed. Turning the water on hot, she stripped down to her bra and underwear.

Taking one more cautious peek out the bathroom door (because we all know it'd be her luck that ONE of those morons burst through the door as she was getting naked), she deduced that no one was there but her and stripped completely.

Once in the shower, she realized she was in a lot better shape than she was before meeting Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Which probably shouldn't have surprised her so much, considering when she wasn't eating or sleeping, she was fighting people and/or Heartless.

"...Well, sometimes I eat _while_ fighting," she said out loud as she put shampoo in her hair. "But still, it's the principle of the thing," she added matter-of-factly.

While gaping at her newfound toneness, she sighed heavily after realizing Christmas was tomorrow. Not that it really mattered; she hadn't celebrated Christmas in years.

Even before dad went missing. Apparently, they "didn't believe in Christmas anymore". Kiera blamed it on his sudden attraction to the idea of science, and lots of scientists were atheist. Or at least didn't believe in the whole Jesus thing.

Not that she really cared what people believed in; she wasn't so sure she believed in him herself. But still...not celebrating Christmas? After so many years of doing it and looking forward to all the presents? NOT cool. And was she ever with relatives that DID celebrate Christmas around Christmas time?

Of course not. She was always stuck at home. And the presents they sent to Memphis for the Sages always mysteriously got "lost in the mail".

That made Kiera realize her mom wasn't the _only_ person she'd been away from for months; what about her aunt and two uncles, and her grandparents?

...Then again, since they lived in Florida, they probably didn't realize she was missing yet in the first place. Although, since they usually got at least a letter from her or something around the holidays, they'd be at least a little worried.

_Surely! ...Probably. Maybe. Hopefully..._

Kiera sighed. "Maybe it's just time I realized...my family isn't really much of a family anymore..."

Then she huffed. "With all the technology, you'd think we'd be able to keep in touch more!" Then a thought struck her; why hadn't she just summoned a cell phone? At _least _to check up on people?

She nearly fell out of the shower as she hurriedly rinsed out her hair and bathed and all that good stuff, barely remembering to dry herself off in her excitement. After her hands and the ends of her hair were relatively dry, she summoned a cell phone.

Kiera turned it on excitedly, and once the smart chip had initialized, she held it up to find there...were... "No _bars_?" she screeched, slumping against the wall. After frantically searching the entire ship for a signal like a moron, she sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. "And yet, this surprises me."

After grudgingly getting dressed, she looked around dully. "...There's nothing to _do _around here! ARGGHHH! ...SUCKIEST CHRISTMAS-EVE-DAY _EVER_!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE****...**_

"Thanks for the loan," Sora called out from somewhere underneath the fir tree. Belle chuckled. "Any time. After all, it's Christmas Eve tonight!"

"Right!" Goofy replied from the other end of the tree.

"Wait...you guys...where are we gonna keep this until she goes to sleep?" Donald asked suddenly. There was a long pause, then three loud sighs. "Awww man!"

Belle and the others laughed. "Calm down, boys. I'm sure she'll like it whether she catches you or not!" she said cheerfully.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Goofy agreed slowly.

"Well, merry Christmas everybody!" Sora called out.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" they shouted back before the three heroes stealthily crept back onto the Gummi Ship.

Once they were back on board, Goofy put the ship back on neutral so it was back to floating in space. Sora ducked out from underneath the tree, looking around to make sure the coast was clear.

After not finding Kiera anywhere else, he poked his head in the bathroom through the partially-opened door and sweatdropped. She was fast asleep on the bathroom floor, holding a banana peel like it was a teddy bear.

Sora shook his head slowly before locking the door from the outside, ensuring they wouldn't get caught.

"Is the coast clear?" Goofy asked. Sora grinned, putting a finger to his lips. "Shh, she's asleep. We better hurry!"

"Right!" the two exclaimed, giving him mock salutes. Sora then began digging in the boxes. "Okay, where's the tinsel and stuff Aerith gave us...?"

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS****LATER****...**_

Sora sighed tiredly, at the bottom of the weird tower they'd made; Goofy was on _his_ shoulders, and Donald was on Goofy's. They were trying to put the star on the tree, and their little "tower" was swaying rather precariously.

"Donald, _please_ hurry up!" Sora managed to get out with a groan.

"It has to be done _perfectly_!" Donald quacked in reply, quacking even louder when he swayed too far and caused them all to fall.

"Oof!" Sora exclaimed, stuck at the very bottom. They got off of him with lots of laughter, and he blew some stray hair out of his line of vision. "Well, THAT didn't work out exactly like we planned."

They shook their heads. "Nope."

Goofy made a thinking noise, looking around the room. "Hey, uhh...why don't we just get Kiera to summon us a ladder?"

"We can't, she's asleep _and _locked in the bathroom so she won't know what we're doing," Sora replied matter-of-factly.

His friends sweatdropped. "...Oh, tell us you _didn't_..."

"What?" he said with an innocent shrug.

"She's gonna be reeeaaally angry when she wakes up!" Donald quacked, and Goofy nodded quickly in agreement. Sora sighed and stood up, brushing himself off. "Fine, I'll go lock her up in a _different_ room, okay?"

"Okay!" Sora wasn't entirely sure how that would make her less angry, but it WAS Kiera they were dealing with, so who knew what would please her and what wouldn't?_ I don't think **she **even knows..._

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE**__**...**_

Kiera shot straight up with a gasp. "_MY _BANANA!" she exclaimed, panting. After looking around, she realized it had just been a dream, and sighed with relief. "Oh...good. I was worried for a second there," she said with a chuckle, standing up and stretching.

"Damn, how long was I asleep?" she wondered after realizing how stiff she was. "And why the hell was I cradling my banana peel?"

Kiera shrugged and reached for the door knob to open it, but it started turning before she even got a chance to grab it. Sora then slowly opened the door, and she blinked at him. "...Thanks for _knocking_."

"How long've you been awake?" he asked suspiciously, wiggling the door knob back and forth as if not sure it worked correctly. "Uhh...thirty seconds?" she answered with a sweatdrop. _You're so weird sometimes, Sora...Especially when you're UP TO SOMETHING!_

"What're you _up _to?" she asked with a suspicious tone of her own. Sora laughed anxiously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nothing, what makes you think I _am_?"

Kiera stared at him for a few more seconds before sighing and shaking her head. "Whatever. I'm tired."

"Then you should probably go to bed."

"But I _just_ woke up," she protested as he started pushing her towards the Cot Room.

"Then you better hurry and fall asleep before the tiredness wears off!" he said cheerfully. Kiera's temple throbbed. "...Are you this hyper because Christmas is tomorrow?"

"Maaaaybe."

She rolled her eyes, turning to look at him now that they were standing in the middle of the Cot Room. "Here, calm yourself," she muttered, summoning him some Christmas pajamas.

Sora brightened rather comically, making her ALMOST smile as he took the pajamas. "What're these for?" he asked eagerly.

"For Christmas. _Everyone knows _you wear your pajamas on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Aren't _you_ gonna wear any?"

She shrugged. "What's the point? I haven't celebrated Christmas in years," Kiera said with a yawn. Sora's face softened, and he ruffled her hair. "C'moooon, do it."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Awww, c'mon, Kieraaa!"

"Why?"

"Why NOT?"

They had a stare-off, and eventually, she sighed in defeat before summoning her own Christmas pajamas, not even caring what they were. "Fine."

"You should probably get some for Donald and Goofy, too," he said matter-of-factly.

"True," she said groggily before summoning a couple more. "Can I sleep now, or are you still intent on bugging me?" He just flashed that smile of his that always told her he knew something she didn't. "No, I'm done. See ya tomorrow."

And with that, he just left. Kiera sighed, flopping onto the nearest cot, and was too busy loudly yawning to hear the door lock.

* * *

Sora tossed Donald and Goofy the PJs; Donald's and Goofy's had King Mickey-shaped wreaths, Christmas lights, and stuff like that on them. Sora's had them, too, but he also had mini Keyblades all over his.

"What're _these_?" Donald asked, holding his PJs up to inspect them. Sora shrugged. "Christmas pajamas, what else?"

"Christmas pajamas?"

"Kiera says that's what people do for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They wear their Christmas pajamas."

His two friends exchanged a look before shrugging and running off. "WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" they said excitedly. Sora grinned; it had been a while since _anyone_ had celebrated Christmas around here.

He wondered why Kiera stopped celebrating; it couldn't have been because of her dad, he went missing only a year ago according to what she had told him.

Then Sora realized something. "Oh crap..." he muttered, groaning and putting a palm to his forehead.

"What'sa matter?" Chip asked, him and Dale poking their heads out from within the Christmas tree. Sora swiveled his head to look at them dully. "...I forgot Kiera's present."

They sweatdropped, looking at the presents under the tree. "And you didn't think when everyone _else_ was getting some that 'Oh, maybe I should get her one too while everyone else is looking for presents'?" Dale asked with another sweatdrop.

"Nooo," he replied with a groan. "What should I get her?" he asked desperately, honestly having no clue what she wanted.

Sora and the chipmunks all struck Thinking Poses, and finally, Chip held up a claw. "Ah-HA! Why don't you try that new world that popped up?"

"...New world? _What_ new world?" Sora asked, walking over to the radar.

Chip and Dale scurried out of the tree to point it out. "Right there! No clue where it came from, just sprang up out of nowhere! But there's bound to be SOMETHING there she likes, right?"

"...Hmm...I guess so..."

"Set course for it?" Dale suggested.

Sora nodded. "Yeah! But...slowly. Don't wanna wake her up. If she finds out what we've been up to, I'm _never_ gonna hear the end of it."

They nodded. "Right! To...To...What world _is_ that, anyway?" Chip asked, peering down at it. Sora squinted to read it. "Looks like...'Earth'."

The three made faces. "_That's_ a weird name for a world!"

"Well, _Kiera's_ weird, so...hey, maybe this'll work good after all!" Sora said cheerfully.

"Yeah!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"Ya _sure_ you wanna go on your lonesome?" Goofy asked for the fiftieth time. Sora nodded cheerfully. "Yeah, what's the worst that could happen? Besides; I won't be able to concentrate on what I should get her if you're all staring at me," he muttered.

"Be careful, Sora!" Donald called out as he headed for the Gummi's exit. Sora waved back at him in acknowledgement before setting foot on this "Earth" place.

It was freezing, but to his disappointment, there was no snow. Sora looked around and saw he was by a river; to his far right, there was a bridge that was shaped almost like an "M". But it looked more like two humps, after staring at it for a few seconds.

The sun was setting. It looked pretty cool since it was reflecting off the river. He was standing on gravel, and saw weird machines with people inside. The machines were standing still, looking towards the river. The people inside were looking at the river, too. Some were doing things he'd rather not think about, and some windows on the machines were so steamed up or so dark-tinted that he couldn't tell WHAT was going on.

"...Weird." With a shrug, he started walking. He walked up the gravel hill to see the machines again, with people in them, only they were in motion this time.

Sora found himself staring at them, intrigued, but then realized one was heading right towards him. He leapt into the air before summoning his Keyblade, striking at the machine. It split the front of the machine in half, and the glass protector cracked right across.

It made a loud, extremely annoying blaring noise, and the people inside screamed. The driver flashed a switchblade at him, waving it around angrily. "Yo man, the hell you think yo doin'!"

Sora held up a hand with a nervous laugh. "Sorry!" he said quickly before running off, leaping out of the way of any more machines that passed. "Kiera better _reeeaaally_ like whatever the hell I get her," he growled as more people shouted at him.

Sora noticed some buildings with bright lights and merchandise in the windows up ahead, and sprinted for them. "PLEASE HAVE SOMETHING KIERA WILL LIKE!" he practically begged as he dodged more machines. These damn machines seemed to be everywhere, and his very _presence_ on the gravel seemed to make the people inside them angry.

Perhaps the dark gravel he was on was only meant for the machines? "Hmph, the machines should learn to not be gravel-hogs," Sora muttered, looking around for any inclination as to where he was. He noticed a street sign, and squinted to focus on it. "'Beale St.'?" he said out loud, shaking his head.

"Never heard of it."

This "Beale St." place had a lot of bright lights on it, that's for sure. He read the signs carefully as he walked down the people-friendly "sidewalks" of Beale, a lot of passersby giving his Keyblade strange looks. "Hmm...'BB King Blues Club'...No, that doesn't seem very Kiera-like...Um..'Backbeat Tours'? Nah...'Blues City Cafe'. Nope. Jeez! Is there ANYTHING here that she'd- ..." Sora trailed off with an anxious laugh as the older girl walking past him gave him a weird look.

She giggled at him before continuing down the street. Sora sighed. "Where was I? Oh, right. 'Memphis Music Records Tapes'...Well, she DOES like music...But she has an iPod already, so she can get whatever music she wants. Dammit!"

He continued his tirade, stomping down the street. "Let's seeeee..." he then noticed a sign that had a skull on it. The skull had pinwheel-looking things for eyes, with glowing red dots in the center for pupils. The skull was also wearing a top-hat, and in the top-hat were the words "Tater Red's" illuminated in red.

"Hmmm...Kiera DOES apparently like skeletons an awful lot...'Tater Red's Lucky Mojos'," he read across the wide entrance to the shop. With a shrug, Sora went inside.

* * *

Stuff to buy was literally everywhere but on the floor, and it was a bit of a narrow store. Good music playing, though.

There were bobble heads and shirts everywhere, and some things Sora didn't even know how to _describe_. He picked up one especially colorful and slightly-creepy doll in particular, reading the little flap attached to its wrist by some string.

"...Voodoo Doll? 'In general, voodoo believers accept the existence of one god, but invoke the powers of Loa—powerful spirits or forces who rule over worldly affairs—to help fulfill needs and desires associated with matters of love, family, wealth, happiness, justice, and revenge.'" Sora looked at the doll for a second before putting it back on the shelf. "Nahhh, Kiera can do all that by herself _without_ those 'Loa' things."

There were a ton of oils next to it, and Sora picked up a couple. "'Keep Away Elvis Impersonators'? Wait...didn't _Kiera_ mention an Elvis guy? ...Huh. Can't remember. Let's see, what else...'Ex Husband Stay Away'? She doesn't have one of those yet. 'Bend Over'?"

He flipped the bottle over and read the back. "'Bend someone to your will, often against theirs. Great fun at parties!'"

Sora tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I should keep this for later...Naaahh, she'd get me back for that, and it'll be terrible. Huh, is there ANYTHING around here she'd especially like? Ooh, here's another bottle...'Get Lucky Oil'?" he wondered out loud, flipping it over to the back. "'Bow-chika-wow-wow!'? Well, THAT tells me absolutely no- ...nevermind, she doesn't need that," he muttered with a slight blush after remembering what Kiera had used that phrase for.

After looking around some more, anything that piqued his interest was either something that could come back to bite him in the ass or something he wasn't entirely sure she'd like. And he didn't want to get something unless he was absolutely positive, without a doub, that she'd like it.

Defeated, he left the store empty-handed, continuing down Beale.

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"This is hopeless," Sora muttered to himself. He was freezing, he was _still_ empty-handed, and he had no idea whatsoever where he was.

"The only upside is that the Heartless haven't seemed to invade this area yet," he continued, his shoes continuing to clop against the sidewalk. Speaking of his shoes, people kept looking at them when he passed by. Just like his Keyblade, which he had kept stowed away for the time being.

Luckily, he was now in a less-populated area. He could deserve the break, considering the _last_ heavily-populated area he'd been in was called "Coyote Ugly" and had...had...well, he keeled over with a nosebleed, let's just leave it at that.

As Sora was walking along, he noticed a little cross with flowers on it put near a fence, a portion of which looked lighter and newer than the rest of the wood. Curious, he walked over to it. He'd seen a couple of those, and he imagined they were put there for people who died, but he'd never heard of people dying randomly while standing in the street, so he still found it a bit odd.

All the cross said was, "DAD". There were some flowers by it, like he had noticed earlier, but now that he was close he realized the flowers were very old-looking. Like they had been sitting in the sun for months.

He noticed tiny writing underneath the big "DAD" printed there, and tilted his head while squinting to make it out. "'I'm sorry. Come back home, Daddy. We need you.'"

Sora shook his head. "THAT just put a damper on my already-gloomy mood. That's terrible." He sighed and continued walking, hands in his pockets. "Why's it so damn _cold_?" he wondered. "Land of the Dragons wasn't this cold, and we were in the _snow_ some of the time!" he continued, kicking a stone into the road dejectedly. _Maybe I should just go back..._

"No, NO, I'm not leaving here without her damn present!" Sora exclaimed determinedly, picking up the pace. _Dammit, after all this trouble, I am NOT leaving empty-handed! ...Plus, they'll never let me live it down back on the ship..._

As if on cue, he noticed a huge pile of furniture and such in someone's yard. Sora made a Thinking Face. "Huh...doesn't look like there's anything WRONG with that stuff..."

It looked like the whole pile belonged to a girl, most definitely. After looking through it, Sora let out a whistle. "Jeez, it looks like this whole PILE is made of stuff Kiera would like!" He looked up at the sky and grinned. "THANK YOU!" he shouted triumphantly, not really sure who he was thanking, but feeling it necessary nonetheless.

After rifling through it all, he noticed one thing in particular: a case with Jack Skellington on the cover. "Huh?" he wondered, grabbing the small, slim case. It had "Tim Burton's" at the top in small letters, followed by "The Nightmare Before Christmas" in bigger letters below it.

He opened the case (after plenty of difficulty) to find a circle-shaped thing with Jack's face on it again. "...Well, I have no idea what the hell you are, but Kiera's gonna like you, I can just tell. I mean, you've got Jack all over you. The only thing that could make it better is if you had Jack SPA- ..." he trailed off after noticing something that made him feel happy and exasperated all at once.

_A Jack Sparrow plushie. **Really**?_ "The sad thing is, I know she'll really like you," he muttered as he picked up the plushie. After sniffing it and deeming it safe, he tucked it under his arm, grabbed the Jack Skellington case, and headed back to the place he had gotten off the Gummi Ship at.

...Now if only he remembered exactly how to get there...

_**HOURS LATER...**_

"FINALLY!" Sora exclaimed as he returned to the Gummi Ship. Everyone else was asleep, by the looks of things.

He knew at least Donald and Goofy were, because they were passed out underneath the Christmas tree. In their Christmas pajamas, no less. Sora smiled before sighing and looking down at the presents he had acquired. "...PLEASE like these," he muttered as he plopped down to prepare to wrap the damn Gatekeeper's present.

Goofy and Donald had apparently been wrapping something while he was gone, so luckily the wrapping paper was still out, along with scissors and tape.

Only problem was, Sora hadn't wrapped a present in forever. So within minutes, he was covered in tape and was rather pissed off. "Dammit. Dammit. DAMMIT. DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIIIIITTT," he hissed to himself as he realized he had cut off the wrapping paper too short. AGAIN.

"I'll just. Start. Again. Try number 27," he said with a weary sigh as he unrolled some more wrapping paper. "She _better _like you two," he informed the two Jack items for what had to be the eightieth time.

"It looks like you could use some help," a booming voice he'd recognize anywhere said cheerfully. Sora's head swiveled slowly to look in the voice's direction, his stunned expression rather funny. "...S-S-Santa!"

Santa's smile grew, and then it turned to laughter as he took in the poor tape-covered, dirty-looking, all-around-ready-to-sleep-for-the-rest-of-his-life Sora. "...Getting presents isn't all it's cracked up to be, I see."

"No. Not at all," Sora agreed. "She _better _like it," he informed Santa. If he said it any more, it'd become his mantra. Maybe even his catchphrase for the holidays.

Santa laughed some more as he filled the stockings. "Ho ho ho! I'm just glad to see Kiera's _getting _a present this year! Her behavior's certainly deserving of one, considering things..."

Sora tilted his head to the side in confusion. "But, Santa Clause...she's _on _the Nice List, isn't she? Why WOULDN'T she be getting a present this year?"

"Sora, can I tell you a secret?" Santa asked as he dug in his sack. Sora nodded eagerly, still not entirely believing Santa-Fricking-Clause was standing in front of him on Christmas.

Santa smiled. "Weeeelll, if you can keep it between us...Kiera wasn't getting a present this year because the day you revisited Halloween Town, after you stopped that experiment of Dr. Finkelstein's...she asked me if she could trade in her present this year so that _you _could get _this_," he explained, pulling out a present with "To: Sora, From: Santa Clause" written on the tag.

Sora's eyes widened. "I...I get a present this year? Really?"

"And every year _after _this one, if you stay good. Thanks to Ms. Sage, you're on the Nice List," Santa explained cheerfully.

_...That idiot, _Sora thought with a wide grin. "Wow, I...never thought she'd do something like that," he said thoughtfully.

"I don't think she did, either," Santa replied with a mouth full of cookie crumbs as he ate the cookies someone had left out. Probably Goofy.

He downed the milk and wiped at his mouth with his beard before speaking again. "...A little tip about that wrapping, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"...You might want to put the presents in a box first, so you can get the size more accurate for the paper," Santa said with a sweatdrop. Sora laughed nervously, wanting to facepalm himself for not realizing that sooner. "Oh, r-right! Box, box, box..." he muttered, looking around for one.

Santa sweatdropped again, using his magic to summon a box for him. Sora smiled up at him appreciatively. "Thanks, Santa!"

"Any time. Merry Christmas, Sora!" he said cheerfully before being sucked back up a chimney Sora didn't remember the Gummi Ship having. It disappeared right after the sleigh bells started ringing above the ship, so Sora figured Santa had used his magic to make it appear.

He WAS Santa, after all.

Sora sighed and put Kiera's present in the box carefully. "...She _better _like you," he said simply before resuming the dangerous task of wrapping.

_**NEXT MORNING...**_

Kiera sighed to herself as she slowly became conscious. _It's Christmas_, she thought dully. She rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. She had just started to drift off in a sort of lucid dream when something jumped onto her bed.

Kiera jumped nearly a foot in the air. "SORA, THE HELL!"

"Wake up, it's Christmas!" he said cheerfully. She was about to shout at him for so long it'd make his ears bleed, but then she noticed his appearance.

"...What _happened _to you?" she wondered with a sweatdrop. He shuddered at the very thought, the background turning depressing. "Don't ask..._please _don't ask..." Kiera continued to stare at his all-around dirty appearance, and pulled some tape off his face with a giggle. "Did someone try to get you to shut up _besides _me?" she asked, still giggling.

"Ha ha, very funny. C'mon, get out of bed, it's Christmas!" he repeated. Her face fell. "What for?"

"Because I said so," he replied, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her up out of bed, dragging her down the hall.

Kiera sighed heavily, just hoping he didn't make her flannel nightgown fly up with how fast he was dragging her. Why she had summoned a nightgown in the first place, she had no earthly idea, but what the hell. It was Christmas.

"Jeez, Sora, the way you're draggin' me, you'd think the world were ending or...or..." she trailed off as she saw what the main room of the Gummi Ship looked like.

There was garland and random Christmas crap all over the room, and holly on the steering wheel of the ship. And in the middle of the room was the biggest damn tree she'd ever seen in her life, with a ton of presents under it. There were stockings, too; Donald's was on his navigation chair, Goofy's was on his, Chip's and Dale's were hanging from the windshield, and Sora's was hanging from a random chair. There was another stocking hanging from a door knob; it was bright green and had her name on it in white. And all of them were filled to the brim and bulging with random crap.

"...No way," she breathed, trying to process all that she was seeing.

"Yes way," Sora replied, pulling her further into the room.

"Merry Christmas!" Donald and Goofy cheered, eyeing their presents eagerly. Kiera shook her head in disbelief. "H-How did you..."

"You're a real heavy sleeper," Goofy replied with a chuckle. "We came back while you were asleep in the bathroom and put the tree up, and did the rest while Sora was out getting-" Sora clapped a hand over his mouth, making Goofy spazz briefly.

"G-Getting more...wrapping paper! Because, I...didn't...forget anybody's presents or anything," he said with nervous laughter. Kiera sweatdropped. "...Why do I get the distinct feeling you forgot to get a Christmas present, Sora?"

"Speaking of presents, can we _open _them already?" Donald asked exasperatedly. Without waiting for an answer, he tore into one of his. Kiera watched with a grin, suddenly feeling a lot happier. "Who's it from?" she asked curiously.

"Me!" Goofy replied cheerfully as Donald finished getting all the paper off, the lid of the box flying against a wall as he pulled out his present. It was a new magical charm for his staff, and judging from how excited he was, it was an epic one. "Wow, thanks Goofy!" he exclaimed with an excited quack, summoning his staff and going to work on getting it in.

As Goofy reached over Donald to grab a present, Sora practically pounced on one in particular. "I've been waiting all morning to open this!" he exclaimed as he tore through his present. Kiera watched with a smile as he pulled out his present from Santa.

"YES!" he cheered. It was... Kiera laughed. "Oh, no way."

"A cake!" he said happily, sticking his finger in the icing and licking it off. Kiera laughed again, shaking her head. "I dunno how Santa does it."

"Aren't ya gonna open yours?" Chip asked from within the Christmas tree.

"I already did!" Dale replied. "I even thanked you for them!"

"I didn't hear you."

"YOU ANSWERED ME!"

As the two chipmunks started having an idiotic fight, Kiera smiled and shook her head. Goofy finally got a hold of the present he had been reaching for, handing it to Kiera. "This one's for you," he said cheerfully.

Kiera smiled at him. "Aww, Goofy, you didn't haveta do that!"

"Of course he did, otherwise he'd be a jerk," Sora replied, happily eating some of his cake. Kiera's temple throbbed. "...Sit."

**_THUD._**

"Aw, Kiera, c'mon! It's Christmas!"

"'Tis the season for me to be merry," she replied in a sing-song voice.

"Glad I could help," he groaned. Kiera just grinned before opening her present. She opened the box and went through all the tissue paper to find... "'Goofy's Candy Company,'" she read off the box.

She gasped. "I've eaten this before! Back in Disney World! Goofy, how'd you get this?" she asked excitedly.

"Well, gawrsh, I made it! See, my name's right there," he explained, pointing to the label on the box. She laughed. "Right, sorry."

"Well, go ahead, open it!"

She did so, and saw _reeeaaally _yummy-looking cookies. "What are _these_?" she asked eagerly. "Well, uh, lemme see here...If I recollect correctly, they're gingerbread cookies dipped in caramel, milk chocolate, and white chocolate, since I know ya don't like dark chocolate. I reckon there's about five each. Or was it eight...? Well, either way, they've got all kindsa toppin's on 'em, from candy to coconut! And some of 'em got chocolate and caramel drizzles," he explained thoughtfully.

Kiera smiled for what had to be the hundredth time already that day, setting the box down carefully. "I can't _wait _to dig into those. NO," she added to Sora as he opened his mouth to ask if he could have one. He drooped comically, making them all laugh.

Donald threw Sora a present, and he caught it spastically. "Here's your present from me, Sora!"

"What is it?" he asked, shaking it.

"Open it and you'll see!" Donald replied with a sweatdrop, tossing Kiera hers. Sora did so, and when the paper was ripped off, it revealed a bundle. He opened the bundle, and he held up a bar of ice cream.

Blue ice cream.

"...How did that _not _melt?" Kiera wondered.

"My uncle, Scrooge McDuck, thinks he might have perfected a sea-salt ice cream that doesn't melt! He wanted Sora to be the first to try it!" he announced proudly.

Goofy let out a whistle. "Gawrsh, that's a mighty impressive gift, Donald." Sora carefully set it back in the box. "I'll try that later, then," he replied cheerfully.

Kiera hoped it didn't taste awful. She had always looked forward to the day that non-melting ice cream could be possible! She shrugged and opened her gift from Donald; it was some sort of magic charm that she'd have to ask about later.

As Goofy opened his other gifts, and Chip and Dale continued to fight, Sora pointed oh-so-casually towards a present under the tree. "I think you forgot one." She smirked. "Eh, it can wait. I'm tired."

"Open it!" he urged. "Pleeee- wait, on second thought, don't open it. It might not be that good," he muttered thoughtfully, striking his Thinking Pose while still plopped on the ground beside her.

Kiera rolled her eyes. "Y'all didn't haveta get me presents in the first place, Sora. I'd like _anything _you gave me. ...That came out differently than I intended," she added quickly at the smirk on his face.

"Naaahh, I think it came out just the way you meant it. _Really _meant it, that is," he said smugly.

Her temple throbbed. "...Just hand me my damn present." Sora laughed and tossed it to her, and she opened it as slowly as possible.

"...Is that really necessary?"

"What if I wanna preserve the tape, you have a problem with that?" she snapped.

"You could always just preserve the tape that's all over me," he muttered. She snorted a laugh at that one; he WAS still covered in tape, and judging by how tired and dirty he looked, he went through a helluva lot of trouble to get whatever her present was. It was kind of cute.

When she finally opened it, she could see Sora staring at her out of the corner of her eye to see her reaction. She laughed at that, but then she saw what was in the box. Her whole face lit up. "Oh, no WAY! Sora, h-how...how the hell did you...I mean...wait, how do you know what this is...and...and...the...there's...but...see, it's...and then...oh, no WAY!" she repeated, staring in amazement at the Nightmare Before Christmas DVD in her hands.

"Don't ask," he said with a shiver. Kiera giggled. "You really DID go through hell for this present, huh?"

"There's more," he said, pointing eagerly at the box.

Kiera dug her hand in the box and pulled out... "O-Oh...Oh my God...this is JUST like the one I have at home!" she exclaimed, staring at the Jack Sparrow chibi plushie doll.

"Sora, how in the _hell _did you..." she couldn't even finish her sentence, she was so dumbstruck. She couldn't remember the last time someone had gone through all that trouble, or gotten her things as nice as him, Donald, and Goofy had.

"...Does that mean I did a good job?" he asked carefully. Kiera laughed and glomped him, practically tackling him. She even kissed him on the cheek. "Yes! Thank you so much! All of you!" she added, hugging Donald and Goofy as well.

She felt tears brimming her eyes, and wiped them away quickly. "This...is hands-down the most epic Christmas I've had since before I can remember! Thank y'all so...so much," she said sincerely, shaking her head in disbelief as the reality of all they'd done while she was asleep hit her.

They all grinned at her. "That's what friends are for," Donald replied. Goofy wrung his hat in his hands, all bashful-like. "Shucks, Kiera, no need to make me blush!" That made them all laugh, and they laughed even harder when Chip and Dale fell out of the tree while still fighting.

After a little while, Kiera suddenly realized something. "...Gee, I feel kinda bad. Y'all all got great presents for each other, and me, but...I didn't get anything for you guys! Name it, I'll get it for you," she told them all, waiting eagerly.

"Well, for starters, you could summon a _huuuge_-" Donald started, but was cut off by Goofy and Sora clapping hands over his mouth. They grinned at her. "You being happy's more than enough," Sora replied, making her blush despite herself.

Then she sweatdropped. "...Go ahead, Donald, whadda ya want?"

"A huuuuuge thing of brownies? Or a cake?" he asked hopefully.

"How about both?"

"Ohhhh BOY!" he exclaimed as a giant tray of freshly-baked brownies appeared with an ice cream cake. He dove right in, and Kiera laughed. "Save one for me!" Sora called out, fiddling with one of the Keychains Goofy had gotten him. He was trying – and not succeeding – in putting it on his Keyblade.

Kiera sweatdropped. "So much for my happiness being more than enough."

"Well, you know what they say!"

"They say a LOT of things, care to narrow it down?" she asked, obviously amused at his attempt to defend himself.

Sora paused. "Well...y'know...what they say...about...I like sweets, is that a crime?" he demanded to know, making her laugh all over again.

"All you had to do was ask, I would've gotten you some!" Goofy tapped her shoulder. "Well then, in that case...While we're on the subject..."

"Name it, Goofy, and you've got it."

"Could you summon me some more gingerbread cookies like the ones I gave you? I gave you all the cookies I made back home before I went to sleep for a year," he explained. His expression turned bashful all over again at the look on Kiera's face.

"Awww, GOOFY! You can have as much as you want!" she exclaimed, summoning cookie supplies and making them hover like a floating army into the kitchen. Goofy dashed off to go play with them as she wiped at her eyes. "Thanks a ton, Kiera!" he called out.

"Any time!" she said cheerfully. Donald soon followed him. "HEY! Maybe we should mix the _brownies _with some of those toppings!"

"Bring 'em on in, Donald!"

"No need to tell _me _twice!" the duck said as he practically flew into the kitchen. Sora and Kiera laughed, and she carefully put her presents back in the boxes. She had stood up and was walking to put her presents somewhere safe when Sora's voice stopped her cold.

"...So, you _really _gave up your present from Santa Clause to put me on the Nice List?"

She whirled around to look at him, nearly dropping her boxes. "H-How'd you know that?" she asked in disbelief. He shrugged. "Santa told me. I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours, so I saw him when he stopped by."

Kiera huffed. "I shoulda known. That WOULD happen to me."

"Hey, Kiera?"

"Huh?"

"Why DID you stop celebrating Christmas?"

Kiera paused, not sure how to explain it. "...I guess...I ran out of family to celebrate it with," she said thoughtfully. "My parents just stopped believing in it, and I was always stuck with _them _for the holidays, so...I just kinda dealt with it," she added with a shrug. Sora shook his head. "Not believing in Santa? That's just wrong..."

Kiera sweatdropped. "Wasn't it you telling everyone you _didn't believe in Santa _that got you on the Naughty List, Sora?"

"Well, YEAH, but I never ACTUALLY stopped believing in him," he said defensively. Kiera laughed. "So? Actions speak louder than words!"

"Well, I simply SAID I didn't believe in Santa," he pointed out.

"But you didn't ACT like you still believed in him," she shot back. He thought about that one, and she smirked at the look he was giving her. It was the one he always wore when he knew she was right but didn't want to admit it.

"Actions speak louder than words, huh?" he said thoughtfully. Kiera nodded. "Always."

"...Hey. Kiera."

"Yes?" she asked exasperatedly, having been trying to creep into the kitchen and snag a brownie.

"You said you'd give me whatever I wanted, right?" he asked hesitantly. She walked back over to him, still holding her presents. "...Well...yeah. But I can't summon actual people, so Kairi's just plain RIGHT OUT," she said sternly, and something about her expression must've been funny because it made him laugh.

"Well, out with it. Anything you want."

"Hmmm..."

"Except revoking my 'Sit' priviledges for any amount of time. That's off-limits, too."

"Damn. What _do _I want, then..." he struck his Thinking Pose, but Kiera somehow had the feeling he wasn't really thinking at all. Yeah, that twinkle in his eye made her sure that he already knew what he wanted, without a doubt.

"Oh! That's right!" he exclaimed. "What?" she asked, but she got her answer soon enough when he up and kissed her.

...Yeah, needless to say, she dropped her presents. She blamed her balance issues as to why her body just seemed so inclined to lean into him. That, or it could've been because those damn tinglies were in the air again. Stupid Sora, _that _was probably all his fault, too.

Well, the kiss would've been awkward if she just stood there. And Kiera hated awkwardness. So of course she kissed him, too. He didn't seem to mind all that much. When he pulled away, her eyes were half-lidded, and he looked like he was trying not to laugh as he pointed up above her head.

Kiera looked up to see... "Mistletoe. Last time, you surprised the crap out of me and kissed me. It's only fair I did the same to you," he said smugly.

She smirked. "True. Why do you think I played along?" she said just as smugly before picking up her presents and heading on into the kitchen like she had planned.

"...MERRY CHRISTMAS!" he called out after her, and she laughed.

"Merry Christmas, Sora."

"Oh, and Kiera?"

"YES, Sora?" she asked, temple throbbing as she whirled back around to look at him. He just smirked at her. "You should really take your own advice. Actions speak louder than words," he said simply. Kiera's temple throbbed some more, and she headed for the kitchen like she'd been trying to do for about five minutes. "Rawr," was her simple reply. She _really _wasn't liking what he had implied just then.

_...Stupid Sora. Getting me nice presents like that. _But she had to wonder how the hell he got them. They looked JUST like the DVD and chibi plushie she had at home.

Kiera shrugged to herself. "The hell does it matter? It's Christmas, for crying out loud!"


	36. Memphis: Is This Kiera's Last Stop?

**Back again! Weeellll, we've got another little filler chapp, since a bit of time has to pass for the next trip to the Pridelands and whatnot. So read, review, and-**

**Kiera: (Teleports in out of nowhere) Hiya!**

**Me: (Falls out of chair) THE HELL!**

**Kiera: (Looks around) ...Oh. Damn, I left Sora behind by accident again! Hold on! (Disappears, then reappears with Sora)**

**Sora: (Temple throbbing) I THOUGHT YOU WERE A MASTER AT THIS WHOLE TELEPORTATION THING!**

**Kiera: Pffft, who told you THAT?**

**Sora: ...YOU.**

**Kiera: ...Oh. My bad! Hehehe...he...he... MANDY, AREN'T THERE PRESENTS HERE LIKE I TOLD SORA THERE WAS?**

**Me: Um...no...**

**Sora: KIERA, DAMMIT, YOU-**

**Me: Oh, wait, YES, YES THERE IS! They're from a reviewer and friend of mine, yukicrewger2! My baaaad. (Tosses them their presents)**

**Kiera: HA! I get TWO! (Opens both presents at once in under fifteen seconds)**

**Sora: (Lets out whistle) Jeez, Kiera, I knew you were fast, but-**

**Kiera: OOOOHH! ...What's this? (Holding up random jar) **

**Me: Read the note. (Looks at portion of audience that also reads my Naruto story) ...De ja vu, anyone? **

**Kiera: (Shrugs and reads note attached to jar) "Two for Kiera, an anti-magic/anti-burn salve for her shoulder, as well as various VHS/DVDs/Blue-Ray movies off of her want list -Yuki". Awesome! (Looks further in the second box) OOOHHH, HERE THEY ARE! FOUND THE MOVIES! **

**Sora: (Rolls eyes and opens his) AWESOME! (Reads note) "A Key Chain for Sora, one I call frozen beast, it's blue and silver and has what looks to be three wolf teeth for the key's teeth, that also has a special technique called icestrike. -Yuki"**

**Kiera: Wow, that's pretty cool, too. ...BUT NOT AS COOL AS MY MOVIES! (Cradles movies affectionately) I shall name each and every one of you, and you shall love your new names!**

**Me and Sora: (Major sweatdrops)**

**Sora: ...(Temple throb) ...Why do you hate me? Sticking me with her, REALLY?**

**Me: (Laughs innocently) U-Uhhh...read, review,review some more, and ENJOOOOY!  
**

* * *

Kiera was just about to bite into her brownie (which was piled high with toppings) when Goofy suddenly had a thought. "You guys!" he exclaimed, making them all jump.

"What's the matter, Goofy?" Donald asked.

"That new world that opened up! We should probably go check it out."

Sora waved him off, obviously _really _wanting to eat his brownie. "Nah, I already did. Looked pretty calm. Except for those weird machines..." He shuddered at the thought, and Kiera gave him a skeptical look. "What machines?"

"_Please_ don't ask..."

She huffed, pouting and crossing her arms. "That's your answer for _everything_ to do with last night!"

"Do you _really _think we need to? As in absolutely, positively, without a doubt think we need to go there?" Sora asked Goofy.

Kiera stood and smirked at him, brownie in hand. "Why, are you too much of a _scaaaaredy-cat _to go?"

He gave her a rather dirty look. "NO."

"Then let's go!"

"FINE, LET'S GO!" Sora shouted, leading the way. Kiera and Donald snickered to themselves and exchanged a fist-bump. "Female encouragement. That's all it takes sometimes, boys."

* * *

When they descended the ship, Kiera immediately gasped in disbelief. "...What?" Sora asked, but she ignored him. She put a hand to her mouth, shaking her head and tearing up. She dropped her damn brownie, too, but she didn't care.

"Kiera, what's the matter?" Goofy asked; they were obviously at least a little worried. She looked around, still not believing where she was. "The river...the Mississippi...the Dolly Parton bridge..."

"The M-lookin' thing?" Sora asked, and she nodded.

"It's all...it's all here...but...this can't be...can it? Can we really...Am I really _home_?" she wondered, making everyone jump in surprise.

"HOME?" they shouted, and she nodded happily. "Home. I...I'm home. You guys, _I live here_!" she said happily, looking around some more and breathing deeply. "Ahhh, it still smells like cold air and water and crime, just like last winter. And there, there's that hobo guy that lives in his car year-round!" she exclaimed, pointing at an old parked car.

"Those machines are called 'cars'?" Sora asked, and she nodded again.

"Yeah. I drive those."

"I smashed one in half last night. It wasn't yours, was it?" he asked thoughtfully. Her temple throbbed. "If it was, I'm gonna be _really _pissed at my momma. She's got nowhere to be, she sure as hell shouldn't be-..." she trailed off before gasping. "My momma!" she shouted before running off.

"Where're you going?" Donald called after her. Kiera sighed impatiently, gesturing for them to follow. "Home. Comin'?"

Sora looked at them. "...Guys, we better follow her. She might know a secret to getting past those 'cars' unscathed."

They looked at the cars whizzing by, then nodded quickly at each other before running like mad to catch up with her. THAT got her laughing as she waited patiently by the "Walk, Don't Walk" sign. She pointed to the button. "_This _is how you outsmart the cars," she explained with a smirk.

After pressing the button, she watched the traffic lights. When the sign across the street _finally _told them they could walk, she did so. They watched her, and she turned around in the middle of the road to sigh exasperatedly. "HAUL SOME ASS BEFORE THE LIGHTS CHANGE!" she screeched.

And haul ass they did.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTY-SEVEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Are we almost there?" Donald asked, obviously not happy. Kiera didn't blame him; people kept asking Donald and Goofy if they realized Halloween had passed already.

As for Sora, he was thoroughly enjoying himself. _Especially _after the Coyote Ugly girls waved at him and called his name from the doorway when they passed on Beale Street. Kiera had asked about it, but he stuck to his excuse of "I thought I could find you a present in there!".

"Almost," she replied, pointing to a street sign. "I live about three streets over from here. We'll be there in no time. ...Goofy, don't eat that!" she shouted as Goofy attempted to taste some gum left on a street pole.

"Awww, shucks, why not?" he wondered.

"Because it's been in someone's _mouth _already!"

"...Oh. Gawrsh, why didn't you say that when I ate all that candy _earlier_?" he wondered, rubbing his stomach thoughtfully. Kiera and Sora exchanged a look before shuddering. "Ewww..."

Sora suddenly stopped and ran over to a curb. "Hey, guys, I saw this last night! It's this cross with 'DAD' on it, and it made me so depressed...Kiera, do these people with the crosses just die randomly in the street?" he asked.

Kiera slowly followed them over to look at it, even though she'd been the one who put the cross there in the first place. She shook her head at his question. "No. Some are shot or stabbed there. Others, like this guy, were in car crashes."

"You know his family?" Donald asked, looking at the little message she'd written. Kiera smiled sadly. "I...guess you could say that. They were nice people."

"What happened to 'em?" Goofy asked, brows furrowed.

"...They fell apart," she replied simply, her voice breaking at the end. Sora stood up. "C'mon, guys, let's keep going," he said suddenly. The other two shrugged and looked at Kiera, who nodded and led the way. Not long after, Sora had fallen into step beside her, and squeezed her shoulder. "...Sorry, I didn't know it was-"

"Don't worry about it. I just wanna see if my house is still in one piece," she said with a half-laugh.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

Kiera's pace quickened even more when they turned onto her street. Hers was the fifth one down. When they reached it, she let out a huge breath. "...There it is," she breathed, her breath appearing as a fog in front of her.

"It looks normal to me. Just like how I saw it last night," Sora commented. She nodded happily, too glad to be home to even bother with asking him why he had seen her house last night. "It's supposed to."

"...Dontchya wanna go inside?" Goofy asked. Kiera laughed. "More than anything. ...Hmm, looks like the neighbors aren't home," she mused as she walked to the front door, her friends slowly following.

She popped the screen out of one of the windows to get to the toolbox, under which was her house key. Sora sweatdropped. "Well...that's _one_ way to make sure you never get locked out," he commented. She beamed at him. "I know, I'm pretty clever."

Kiera unlocked the door, and carefully pushed it open. "Mommaaaa?" she called out, turning on the lights. Her friends jumped after her mom suddenly came into view once the lights were on. She was sound asleep on the couch, as usual.

Dip on her face. As usual.

Tons of beer bottles littered everywhere. ...Not usual. Kiera was usually there to clean them up a night at a time. And the tv wasn't on. _Also_ not usual.

Kiera sighed. "...Yep. I'm home."

The other three watched her, and the events of the next ten minutes or so made them realize how bad things had really been for her before meeting them.

She gently shook her mother awake, and the latter jumped in surprise. Kiera smiled at her, and her mom stared back for the longest time. "...Kiera," she said slowly, nodding to herself as if confirming her name.

"Yeah. Yeah, momma, I'm home," she said a little breathlessly, both hands on her mom's shoulders.

"...Kiera? You...You never came back with the beer after your friend's party," she said in that same slow tone. Kiera's face fell slightly, but she quickly recovered. "Momma, that was months ago. It's December now. It's Christmas Day. And...it looks like you've been able to get plenty of beer since then," Kiera said with a sweatdrop, looking pointedly at all the beer cans and bottles and whatnot littered everywhere.

Mom huffed. "Yeah, no thanks to you! Do you have any idea how much _money_ I had to blow on beer?"

"Actually, I do. I used to blow that amount every week. More some days, what with the bills and groceries," Kiera snapped.

Suddenly, Goofy pointed to something outside. "Gawrsh, Kiera, was that huge pile _always _there?" he wondered.

Sora nodded. "It was there when I picked out her present."

"Pile?" she repeated, standing on her tiptoes to look past Goofy. There was indeed a huge pile on the side of the street, and it looked a lot like... "Is that...?" Kiera wondered before running outside.

She picked up a couple random objects. It was unmistakeably her things. "...Kiera?" Donald called carefully, not liking the look of pure disbelief on her face that quickly turned to anger. "MOMMAAAA!" Kiera bellowed, running back inside.

Her mom was standing up now, wiping the dip off her face with the back of her hand. Kiera pointed towards the open door angrily, eyes flashing. "What the HELL is my stuff doing by the side of the street?"

Mom looked her dead in the eyes and shrugged. "You weren't here. It was taking up space. I was hoping to get good money off it. You're lucky the electricity's still on, what with you running off and not paying the bills like you promised!"

Kiera looked about to strangle someone, and Sora looked at Goofy and Donald. "Maybe we should-"

"There...is SO MUCH wrong with that sentence...I don't even know where to begin! But how about the fact that GARBAGE COLLECTORS DON'T PAY YOU ANYTHING FOR THE STUFF YOU PUT ON THE CURB, MOMMA!" she exclaimed.

Mom blinked at her for a second, and then she started laughing. Just laughing. "Hehehehehe! I suppose you're right! Ahhhh..." she said, still laughing as she plopped down on the ground. "That was pretty stupid of me, huuuuh?"

Kiera sighed and shook her head before closing her eyes, summoning all her objects back into her room. "Hey, the pile's gone!" Goofy informed them. Kiera nodded. "Good. It _should _all be back in my room now. Momma, I can't believe you did that. You're SO LUCKY they didn't pick up garbage over the holidays or I _swear _I woulda-"

"Woulda done _whaaat_?" Mom asked with a hiccup. "...Scold me and send me to my room?" With that, she started giggling at her little joke, hiccuping again at the end.

Suddenly, she stopped giggling after noticing Goofy, Donald, and Sora. "...Who're _they_? And why're those two dressed like Goofy and Donald? You said it was Christmas, right?"

Kiera sighed heavily. "Mom, these are my friends. The ones I've been with for months. Sora, Donald, and Goofy."

"...No, seriously," her mom said with a giggle.

"Seriously. I got kidnapped at my cousin's party and these guys let me tag along with 'em. If not for them...I'd probably be dead right now," she said thoughtfully.

Mom sniffled a little. "But...if you were dead...who would take care of me...?" She started crying, making everyone sweatdrop as she turned her pleading eyes up to Kiera. "Honey, please don't leave me like that _ever_ again! It was so scary, you just have _no idea_!"

Kiera looked rather distressed as her mom crawled towards her and locked her arms around her leg, crying. She looked at her friends, who were gaping at them with dropped jaws and sweatdrops.

"...Feel free to take a look around. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, but I'd look at the due date first. I'm gonna be a while."

They happily complied, leaving her to deal with the wreck formally known as her mother. Kiera sighed again as her mom continued to cry rather loudly, trying to wriggle her leg out of her grip. "Momma...C'mon, lemme go."

"No! You'll leave again!"

"No, I...I won't. I'm home now." Kiera had found herself saying it before even realizing _what_ she was saying, but there it was. She was staying?

_Of course you're staying. Isn't that why Memphis was unlocked as the next world to visit? There's no Heartless around, so...this is the part where Sora, Donald, and Goofy drop you off and continue without you. Simple._

Mom sniffled. "...You are?"

"Y-Yes. ...Yeah, I guess I am." Mom stood and brushed herself off, smiling. "That's good! ...Can, um...Can you go -"

Kiera's temple throbbed as she stomped off. "YES, I'll go get your damn beer! Guys, I'll be back in a little while!" she shouted over her shoulder, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

"Unbelievable. Un..._fucking_...believable. I dunno what's worse: her doing that little act, or me still being _surprised_ by that little act," she grumbled to herself, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets dejectedly. She was wearing the one with all the random burgers and fries and dinosaurs on them.

"Hey, wait up!" Sora called out. Kiera turned around as he ran after her, then sighed as he caught up. "Where're we going?"

"I'm going to the store. To get beer. And then I'm going home. What about you?" she asked moodily, turning onto the street where the nearest convenience store was located.

Less than a block away. Pretty damn convenient.

"Well, it sounds like I'm going to the store with Kiera to get some beer. And then I'm going back to her house."

Kiera just sighed and swung the door to the convenience store open, hoping it would hit someone in the face. It did. "OW!" Sora whined, rubbing the side of his face.

Okay, so maybe that was intended to hit just _anybody_, but it hitting Sora made it even better. She plucked a case of Bud Light off the refridgerated shelf, nearly hitting Sora with _that_ door as well. He dodged it just in time, nearly slipping and falling flat on his back due to the wet floor. "Kiera, jeez, calm down!"

"I _AM _CALM!" she shouted, slamming the beer down at the pay counter and summoning the amount due. Of course, by this time, the whole store was staring at her.

"You must be a new employee. See, here, they know I'm buyin' this for my momma. Ask anyone else who works here, I'm your favorite customer. It would be in your best interest to just lemme by without asking for ID. Keep the change," she growled at the man behind the counter, who nodded as if he feared for his life. "H-Have a good day!" he called out as Kiera snatched her case of beer and stomped out. "Ha! You're funny, man!"

"Kiera?"

"WHAT."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired."

"Uh-huh."

"SIT!"

_**THUD.**_

"Owww...Yeah, you're totally alright."

"DON'T QUESTION ME!" she shouted, angrier than she'd ever been in her whole life. She wasn't entirely sure who exactly she was angry at. Her mother? Herself? The whole world?

The whole world. That works. Sure, why not._ Isn't that all teenagers are good for? Hating the whole world? _"Hey, Kiera, calm down," Sora said gently, somehow ending up in front of her.

"I _told you_, I'm calm," she protested.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"NO, you're not."

"YES, I am!"

He wiped her cheeks with his thumb, and she realized there were tears there. "Then whaddaya call these?" he asked matter-of-factly. Kiera stared at him for the longest time before turning away, plopping onto the curb. "Go away."

"Kiera-"

"GO...away," she repeated in a shaky voice, tired of him being there every time she started crying. It was...unsettling. Especially since now her anger was gone and all that was left was...sadness.

"...I'm staying here," she told him simply.

"Aw, c'mon, your house is only a couple streets away."

"No, I mean...I'm staying _here_. In Memphis. On Earth. ..._I'm staying here_," she repeated, sniffling. She wiped at her face with the sleeve of her jacket, but that just made new tears start coming.

"...What?" he asked, dumbfounded. "Y-You can't be serious."

"I am."

"You...You can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because you _can't_!"

"WHY NOT, Sora? I _live _here!"

"But...But you...You can't just call it quits _now_!"

"Call _what_ quits? Being dragged into some other universe against my will? Having to fight Heartless left and right? Damn Organization members terrorizing me and burning my shoulder? Missing home, and being terrified my momma's gonna do something stupid and risk her life, and I won't be there to help her? ...Calling all that quits...sounds pretty damn good," she snapped, her voice shaking more than she'd ever heard _any_ voice shake.

There was a bit of a silence (that was filled with her sniffling), and then Sora plopped onto the curb beside her. "Go away," she repeated.

"Since _when _have I done what you wanted me to?" he pointed out. Her temple throbbed. "...That's true."

"Kiera, why do you wanna stay?"

She sighed. "On top of being dragged away against my will in the first place, you mean? ...My momma needs me. She...She's the only family I really _have_, Sora. Once she's gone...that's it. Even if she doesn't really care all that much anymore...I still care about her. _Someone_ has to."

He sighed as well, turning towards her. "Kiera, listen, I-" He cut off abruptly as they heard screaming from the convenience store, which they were sitting outside of. "WHAT THE HELL _IS_ THAT?" a woman shrieked.

They exchanged a look and shot up, running back in. There were two different Heartless there, accompanied by three Dusks. The man behind the counter ducked behind the register before pulling out a shotgun, spastically trying to load it but spilling the bullets everywhere.

The two teens exchanged a look before sighing. Sora summoned his Keyblade, and Kiera summoned some pots and pans. "We'll take care of it!"

"EVERYONE GET THE HELL OUT!" Kiera shouted, making even Sora jump. Everyone, obviously remembering her temper from earlier, immediately ran out like she said. A few people stole handfuls of items on the way.

A few minutes later, Sora had vanquished the last Dusk. The Heartless had been smacked around by Kiera already. The man behind the counter stood gaping at them, and she smiled at him. "...Aren't ya glad I'm your favorite customer NOW?"

He started laughing, and Sora made his Keyblade disappear. "You...don't mind keepin' this to yourself, do you?" he asked.

The man nodded quickly. "N-No problem!"

"Thanks. You'll do just fine here," Kiera said cheerfully before heading back outside, grabbing her case of beer on the way back home.

* * *

"Sora, why the hell are there Heartless _here_?" she wondered.

"Huhhh...I dunno. There weren't any _last night_. Maybe they're like the other worlds we visited a _second _time, in that they're just showing up because we're here. Once we find the key for this world to unlock a path, this world'll be locked, and they won't show up anymore."

Kiera nodded. "That'd be nice. I don't wanna have to fight 'em by myself."

"You won't be," he said simply. She just rolled her eyes. _No use in arguing right now. He'll be leaving soon anyways. ...Even if I have to drag him back onto the ship myself before teleporting outta there._

Once they got inside, they sweatdropped. Donald and Goofy were sitting on the floor playing cards with her mother.

"Got any twos?" Donald asked.

"Go fish!" the other two replied cheerfully.

Kiera sighed and shook her head before climbing up her stairs without a word. She didn't stop to look at the pictures on the wall, like she usually did. She just headed straight for her room and swung open the door.

Everything was back to normal. _Except..._ "You can't be quiet worth a damn, can you?" she asked Sora dully.

"Damn you and your bionic hearing," he muttered.

She sweatdropped. "My hearing's _far _from bionic. You're just loud as crap." He looked around her room with interest, while she flopped onto her back on her bed and tried to remember the last time she'd laid in it.

"So this is where Kiera sleeps," he said to himself.

Kiera nodded. "Yeah. Sure is."

"...It'll be here later, you know. No need to come back home early," he pointed out, making her sigh. "Sora, I'm staying. Period. The end. Fin. Goodbye."

"No, NOT the end. I'm not done arguing with you yet!"

"Well I'M done arguing with YOU," she snapped, standing up and going downstairs.

"...You can't avoid me, I'm not leaving this alone," he commented after sliding down the banister and following her into the hallway. Mom and the other two turned to look at them as they continued to argue.

"And _I'm_ not leaving with y'all, so THERE," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him before picking up the case of beer she'd abandoned earlier.

"_Yes_, you are."

"_No_, I'm not! You don't control me! In fact, if anything, _I_ control _you_!"

"You're coming with us, and that's all there is to it!"

"You can't tell me what to do, Sora, you're not superior to me in any way, shape or form. I'M TIRED OF BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO, I'M TIRED OF SAYING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER, AND I'M _ESPECIALLY_ TIRED OF _YOU_!" she shouted, slamming the beer down onto the counter for emphasis before opening the case and loading them into the fridge.

"You know that's a load of crap just as much as I do."

"No, I really mean it. I PROMISE!" She dropped a can, and he picked it up for her. She snatched it out of his hand before putting it in the fridge and slamming the door shut. "Kiera-"

"GO AWAY!" she practically screamed, desperately wanting him to get out of her sight before she gave in and left home again.

She needed to stay. Had to. The sooner they both realized that, the better. Even now, she was still trying to convince herself what she was doing was right.

Sora looked at her for a long time before sighing and leaving the kitchen. Kiera felt very old and tired once she was alone in there, and even more so when she heard her friends leaving and the door shutting.

Four Heartless appeared, and she wiped them all out with one swing of her aluminum bat. "NOT NOW!" she screeched before composing herself and walking into the den. Mom was sitting on the couch again, dozing off. "Kiera..."

"Yes, momma?"

"...Thank you..." Kiera looked at her hopefully. "...Thank you for restocking us on beer," she continued. Her heart dropped to her toes, but she smiled at her mom anyway. "...You're welcome, momma."

"Can you...Can you get me one?"

"Sure."

"And for crying out _loud_, clean this mess up," she said groggily, referring to all the beer cans and bottles. Kiera sighed and nodded as her mom stretched out on the couch and turned on the tv. Roseanne's voice was soon blaring throughout the room.

By the time Kiera was back with the can of beer, she was asleep. Not snoring yet, but asleep nonetheless.

She felt her body start trembling as she set the beer down on the tv tray after pushing some cans onto the floor, but she ignored it, hoping the urge to cry would go away.

It didn't.

It just grew stronger as she picked up the cans she'd knocked down, and put them in a trash bag before putting all the other ones in that same bag. She had tied the yellow strings together and was about to head for the front door to take it out to be collected on their trash's pickup day, but then her knees shook even more.

So she sank to the ground and started crying. Just crying a fricking river, and not caring how pathetic it was since she'd chosen to stay herself. But...it was so lonely...she had forgotten how lonely it really _was _back home.

Through all the tears that were blocking her vision, she saw a shadow that wasn't hers being cast against the coffee table. That shadow sat down next to her. Then the shadow tucked some hair behind her left ear.

She knew that touch anywhere. ...Mainly because of the pull she felt from it. "You're still here," she commented with a sniffle.

"Of course I am," Sora replied. "Why're you so upset? _You're_ the one who told me you wanted to stay."

She shook her head. "I don't wanna stay, you moron. Are you kidding me? Being with you guys has been the best time of my life! ...Next to all the best pranks I've pulled. B-But still. ...I don't _wanna_ stay, I just..."

She trailed off, looking over at her mom. "...What's gonna happen to her while I'm gone? You _saw_ the woman, she's not stable enough to take care of herself! And...I'm the one who promised to take care of her. Back when dad di- ...After the accident. I told her I'd take care of her, and that she wouldn't have to worry anymore, and that I can handle it, and..." she cut off with a hiccup and sob, hanging her head.

"So it's up to me. I gotta...I gotta keep my promise."

There was silence for a few moments before Sora spoke. "...Kiera, you can't keep a promise like that. You're just a kid, you can't do all this by yourself. And besides...You shouldn't have to keep a promise to someone if they treat you like she does."

She looked up at him hesitantly. "...She's just emotionally damaged, is all. She-"

"She still doesn't get to treat you like that. No one does. Not while I'm around, at least."

"But she's my mom, I mean-" He interrupted her by caressing the sides of her face. That made her shut up _real_ quick.

"You know what your problem is? You keep saying that she's all you have left, so of course you wanna keep her around. But she's _not_ all you have left. You've got us. And me. And we..._I_...wanna take care of you. Besides...Didn't you say something once about being my Gatekeeper? Aren't you supposed to be saving my ass when it needs saving? How can ya do that if you call it quits before our quest is over?"

"I...guess I can't. I forgot about that," she admitted, not able to break eye contact. Did that surprise her? Of course not. It _only _happened just about _every _time he looked at her like that.

She blinked her tears away, laughing a little. "Jeez, I guess me and momma are both wrecks. I'm startin' to understand why dad didn't come back!" she said with a halfhearted smile.

Sora shook his head. "I'm not. I can't even _think _about leaving you behind." She started turning bright red, which just made him smirk. "Kieraaa's bluuuushing," he said in a sing-song tone.

"A-Am not!"

"Are so!"

"Well, uh...Maybe _you _shouldn't say stuff like that when you have your hands on people's faces!" she accused.

"Oh. Ohhh, _o-_kay. So I wonder what would happen if I did _this_," he said innocently. One of his hands went to her hair, and the other ran down the length of her neck. Her eyes tried to flutter closed out of instinct, but luckily, she stopped that from happening just in time. Just like how she bit her lip to keep from making a stupid noise.

She smirked at him defiantly. "You'll have to do better than that. _Waaay _better."

"Oh, what a shame," he muttered, already leaning in. She chuckled, leaning in herself. Did she care? Not a bit. Hell, half of her (okay, maybe two-thirds) was practically BEGGING for her to let things unfold.

She _would've _let things unfold, too, if it weren't for her damn mother. Their lips were already touching, they were already kissing, when they heard a rather loud:

"Bown-chika-chika-BOWN-wow-wow-wow!" It was followed with a high-pitched giggle and hiccup, making them both jump.

They slowly turned their heads to look at Grace Sage, who was currently watching them from her comfortable-looking spot on the couch. She was grinning from ear to ear, too. The freak. And ironically, during that long awkward silence, Roseanne's laugh track started going right on cue.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'll just sip my beer and go to my room," Grace said innocently, popping her beer can open.

She had just started to gulp some down when the can suddenly lit up, floating into the air. "What the _hell_?" she said weakly.

"...Oh, no WAY," Sora and Kiera said slowly. _All we had to do to unlock it was for Sora to change my mind? Or kiss...? Oh, screw it, who cares..._

They exchanged a look, and Kiera sighed before detaching his hand from her hair. "Go ahead, Key Boy. See if _I _care."

He didn't look very happy about it, either, but locked Earth anyway. Now there'd be no more Heartless, which made Kiera feel _extremely _relieved.

"...Kiera Reilly Sage! You kissing a boy in my den, I was cool with that, but I'll be DAMNED if I let that boy take my floating beer can!" she hollered, making Kiera and Sora sweatdrop.

"...Momma, if it means that much to you, I can get you ANOTHER beer."

"...That's a start," she said with an important sniff before flopping back onto the couch, propping her feet up. "You could do the dishes while you're at it." Kiera opened her mouth to explain she was leaving again, but Sora covered her mouth with his hand and dragged her into the kitchen. "RIGHT AWAY, MA'AM!" he said quickly.

"But Sora, I'm goi-"

"We'll just _leave_," he said quietly, tossing her the beer from her fridge. She grinned at him. "...Sora, I do believe I respect you a little more now. Lying to my momma like that...well done!" she said cheerfully, taking the beer to her mom.

Apparently, Sora thought she was joking at first, but eventually seemed to realize she was serious. Either way, he started grinning. "Night, momma. I love you," Kiera said sincerely, kissing the top of her head.

"...Unfortunately," she added under her breath once she was out of her mom's range of hearing.

"DON'T FORGET THE DISHES!" she called after her, but Kiera was too busy grabbing Sora by the shoulder and teleporting them out of there. A few seconds later, they were out in her front yard. She looked around, squinting in the dark. "...Where's Donald and Goofy?"

"Gummi Ship. They left me to get you all on my own." Kiera nodded, and she checked her mailbox out of habit. It was empty, surprisingly. "Wow, she actually checks the mail?" Kiera wondered to herself.

Sora chuckled to himself, in his own little world. "Of course, I figured all I had to do was talk some sense into you and touch you in the right places, and you'd be coming with us in no time at all."

Kiera's temple throbbed menacingly as she turned to look at him. His face immediately fell. "Oh, crap, that came out _reeeeally _wrong."

"Ya _think_? SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIIIIIIIT!"

_**THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUUUUUUD.**_

"...DAMMIT, KIERA!"


	37. Unexpected Delays

**Back again! I was GONNA just have 'em go to the Pride Lands, but then I saw some of the reviews and they...got me thinking. Scary thought, I know. ;D**

**So, here it is! ^^**

**Kiera: (Suddenly teleports in and lets go of Sora's arm) And I'M back by popular demand! ^^**

**Sora: (Temple throb) And what about me? **

**Kiera: (Waves him off) Ennnh, you're just here.**

**Me: (Eyeroll) ANYWAY. Looks like a little trend was started, 'cause y'all got some more presents!**

**Sora and Kiera: YESSS!**

**Me: Okaaay, let's see, the first one would be frooooommm... (Looks at sheet of paper on clipboard)**

**Kiera: (Looks over my shoulder)**

**Sora: (Looks over HER shoulder) ...Hey, wait. All that's on there is a diagram on Pop-Tarts! **

**Sora and Kiera: (Major sweatdrops as I immediately flip to the next page, which has random stick figures undergoing various torture devices) **

**Me: A-Anyway! THE FIRST PRESENT... (Pauses for dramatic effect as Kiera and Sora start bouncing in place) ...Is frooooom...Ah! Morcelink! You both get trophies, which come with a Mystery Cake (showcased in the latest chapp of my Highway to Hell side-story for Bleach) and $50!**

**Kiera: Awesome! (Reads inscription on trophy) "For Kiera: the 'Best KH2 Fanfic(made up) Character Award'". Epic! I...don't exactly know what it means, but that's gotta mean something good!**

**Sora: Oooh, what's mine say? (Reads inscription) "For Sora:the 'Epic Dumbass Award'". (Droops) ...Whaaaaat? No FAIR!**

**Me: Well, you ARE a dumbass. Have you READ the end of the chapter before this one?**

**Kiera: (Snickers) She's right, y'know.**

**Sora: How would _you _know? You were too busy being annoyed 'cause you kissed me too.**

**Kiera: (Major temple throb) You WISH that was the reason. SIT!**

_**THUD.**_

**Sora: (Groans) Owwww...**

**Me: AAAAND FOR ME! (Reads inscription) "For Soccerstar7: the 'One Of The Best Authors on Fanfiction Award'". YAY! **

**Kiera: (Makes hers and Sora's gifts so far disappear) Well, that was cool. ON WITH MORE PRESENTS PLEASE! (Cue innocent Puppy Dog Look)**

**Me: (Eyeroll) Whatever. NEXT GIFTS! They're froooom...AH! Emi and Alex! ...But apparently it was Emi who sent them in, Alex wasn't there. Heeere we go! And, I QUOTE:**

**"Okay Kiera gets 2 presents the first one is A IHOME, IPHONE, IPOD, IPOD NANO, DVD PLAYER, T.V and a laptop - yes, 7 things in 1 present! XD. Okay 2nd present for Kira, Voodoo dolls of everyone, New head phones, a watch and lastly a motorcycle!"**

**Kiera: H-Holy SHIT! **

**Sora: (Temple throb) I better've gotten some good fricking presents.**

**Me: (Snickers) Oh, right. HAHAHAHA!**

**Sora: (Gulps) What?**

**Me: Alright, I quote again: "oh yeah Sora...YOU GET NO DAMN PRESENT SO PISS OFF! yup i'm still mad at him for saying that really perverted thing in the end of the chapter! Sorry dude I hold grudges!" (Rolls on the ground with laughter)**

**Kiera: (Bites her lip to keep from laughing)**

**Sora: (Ultimate Depression Pose) WHAAAAT? IT WAS A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF JUDGEMENT! ...DAMMIT! **

**Kiera: (Pats his back) There, there. If it makes you feel any better, I'm willing to share my presents with you. ...Also, I still like yours the best.**

**Me: Cough-Cough-LIE-Cough-Cough-COUGH-COUGH!**

**Kiera: (Death glare)**

**Me: (Gulps) Now I know how Sora feels...A-Anyway! Oh, and for me! I, the "authoress" as she called me, gets an unlimited supply of cookies and any thing I need! YAY! Well, let's see, any more presents for y'all?**

**Sora: PLEASE say there is! **

**Me: AH! From Chimichar! COOKIES!**

**Kiera: We all know how much you like cookies! (Innocent laugh)**

**Sora: (Droops) ...Dammit...**

**Kiera: (Eyeroll) Hey, be thankful! I DIDN'T kill you for that comment in the end of the last chapter, AND you got a present! **

**Me: ...AND you have incredibly spiky hair that defies gravity! **

**Kiera: (Nods happily) Yeah, see?**

**Sora: ...Yeah, that's true.**

**Me: We good?**

**Sora and Kiera: SO good!**

**Me: GOOD! ONWARD WITH THE STORY! ...Read, review, review review review review review, review some moooore-**

**Kiera: Endorsemental-slash-subliminal messaging much?**

**Me: (Glare) ...AND ENJOY.**

**Kiera and Sora: (Gulp before waving) Bye!**

* * *

"...You're an idiot," Kiera said simply as he continued to groan weakly from his position. He was currently sprawled out on her front lawn, twitching slightly.

...Let's just say her Blind Rage kicked in just a smidge. "That was so uncalled for," he managed to get out, temple throbbing.

"So were _you_, pervert," she growled. Sora rolled his eyes. "You're just pissed off 'cause you kissed me back."

"A-AM NOT!"

"ARE SO!"

"SIT!"

Sora sweatdropped at her expression when nothing happened. "...I'm already on the ground!"

"...Oh. Right."

"Idiot," he said with a sigh and shake of the head.

"You want _another_ black eye?" she growled, making him shut up rather quickly. Kiera glared at him some more before sighing and grabbing his arm and teleporting them back to the Gummi Ship.

Donald and Goofy grinned at them, but then they sweatdropped. "...Why does Sora have a black eye? _Again_?"

"For being a pervert and not keeping his hands to himself," she growled, stomping off.

"ALL I DID WAS TOUCH YOUR FACE, YOU MAKE IT SOUND SO MUCH WORSE!" he shouted after her.

"YEAH, YOU _KISSED_ _ME_ TOO, YA PERV!"

"YOU WERE KISSING ME BACK, AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS INCIDENT YOU SPEAK OF."

Donald and Goofy exchanged a grin. "...Yep. Kiera's back!" Sora rubbed his eye moodily.

"Yeah, thanks to me. And what thanks do I get? A fist to the face."

"Awww, don't worry too much about it, Sora. Sometimes it's how girls show how much they like ya!"

"Donald's right. Daisy does it all the time! ...Though...she never punches him..."

Sora just sighed and ate the brownie he'd left behind. "Can we just head for the next world now?"

"Well, sure! It's sayin' here that the Pride Lands are still havin' problems, so-"

"Great! ...She can't punch me as a lion cub, can she?"

"No, but I can scratch your eyes out," she said ominously as she headed for the bathroom. Donald and Goofy sweatdropped as Sora shivered in a weird noodle-like way.

"Greeeeaaattt...!"

Unfortunately for Kiera, they didn't head for the Pride Lands, because the Gummi Ship wouldn't start up.

"Are you fricking _kidding_ me?" Kiera wondered, her head sticking out of the little hole so she could watch Chip and Dale attempt in vain to repair the ship. They'd been trying for close to an hour now, maybe longer.

"Well, darn, you guys! It'll take us at _least_ a couple days to sort all this mess out!" Dale shouted up to them over the sparks that were flying everywhere.

"In the meantime...that means we don't have any working appliances. Or heat. _Or_ ways of navigation or defense," Sora said glumly, flopping into his seat.

They all drooped, but then Goofy perked up. "Why don't we just stay at Kiera's house? There's plenty of room, ain't there?"

Kiera gaped at him. "...Um...NO. I refuse. I _ABSOLUTELY_ REFUSE!"

"C'mon, Kiera, be a sport!"

"NO FRICKING WAY!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE MINUTES LATER...**_

"Y'all owe me SO much for this," Kiera muttered after teleporting them all there, ending up in her kitchen.

"Kiera? Why didn't you answer, I've been shoutin' for ya for close to an hour!" her mom called out from the den. Kiera sighed heavily, waving them all off. "Go find some places to crash. Chances are she won't even realize you're here."

They all nodded and did so, and she summoned Donald a box of cookies with an eyeroll after noticing he was searching for something to eat as he left.

He quacked excitedly, cradling the cookies affectionately, and Goofy and Sora clapped their hands over his beak before dragging him off.

She chuckled and shook her head before heading into the den. "Yee-es, momma?"

"The hell were you doing? It was all quiet, and then suddenly I heard noise from ya," she said suspiciously, slowly taking a swig of her beer and eyeing Kiera over the can.

"Oh, I fell asleep standing up again," she replied with an embarrassed laugh, and Mom just shrugged. "Whatever you say. Doubt you'd tell me the truth if I called ya out on it, anyways."

"You're exactly right, momma."

"Do the dishes."

"On it."

Once she finished, her mom had gone back to sleep, so Kiera did what she usually did. She covered her up with a blanket, cleaned up the beer that had sloshed out of the can when her arm slumped off the couch, and turned off the television.

She trudged up the stairs, eyes half-lidded, and hit her door half-heartedly. It slowly swung open, and she swiveled towards her dresser to put on some pajamas, not even bothering with turning the light on. Which, in hindsight, was a bad idea.

Kiera shrugged out of her jacket, and it fell to the floor with more noise than she was expecting in her groggy state. She jumped at the sound, but after a few moments of silence she shrugged and got out her boxer shorts, hitching up her Christmas nightgown and sliding them on underneath.

She then slipped off her nightgown, tossing it behind her and not caring where it landed. Which, in hindsight, was _another _bad idea.

She had just unclasped her bra and was in the process of sliding it off when she heard a groan behind her, making her drop her bra in surprise. "Owww...Kieraaaa, you made me bonk my head, that thing you threw at me scared me- ..." he trailed off as she made a little "Eeep!" kind of noise and spastically hugged herself.

"SIIIIIIT!"

_**THUUUUUUD.**_

"...Dammit, what'd I do?"

"Wh-What're you doing in here?" she asked a little breathlessly as she practically dove into a t-shirt. Her face was so hot that it had its own throbbing heartbeat, and that in itself was embarrassing.

"I was sleeping."

"Why in my room?"

"Nowhere else."

"The floor's free."

"Where'd you _think_ I was sleeping?"

Her temple throbbed, stomping to her bathroom. "I meant any other floor BUT mine," she commented before attempting to slam the door. However, she remembered that the rest of the house was asleep (if Donald and Goofy's snores were any indication), and ended up spastically changing her swing and carefully closing the door.

In other words, she looked like an idiot. Again. Great.

"But if I did that, I wouldn't get to watch you make an idiot outta yourself," Sora replied. Unfortunately, her door was thin enough that she could hear that remark over her running sink.

_Fortunately_, she was brushing her teeth and such, which meant she had a few excuses not to have a smart-ass reply handy. To be honest, she still had a blush all over her cheeks and her face still felt hot, even though he probably hadn't seen anything in the first place.

Whatever.

Maybe if she kept saying she wasn't embarrassed and flustered, it'd eventually be true. Stupid Sora.

Kiera sighed and looked in the mirror as she dried her face off. The cold water had helped get rid of whatever blush was left, and now she looked like plain old Kiera. ...Only really tired.

Were those dark circles she saw under her eyes, or was it just a trick of the light? "Trick of the light, that's all," Kiera reassured herself with a quick nod before sighing and opening the door. She poked her head out, looking around suspiciously.

Sora was nowhere to be found. Instead of being relieved, she felt extremely nervous and slightly paranoid. If he wasn't bugging her, what could he possibly be doing?

"...Oh good God, would you LISTEN to yourself?" Kiera wondered with a shake of the head, sighing heavily and opening her windows.

They were on each side of her bed, and she opened them every night. Maybe it wasn't the smartest habit to have, considering how crime-filled her area could be, but still. It hadn't proven fatal yet, so why stop now?

She had just opened her second window when she was grabbed from behind. "BOO!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!" she screeched, jumping out of Sora's grip and falling flat on her ass. He was laughing uncontrollably while she glared up at him, not even bothering to blow the stray bangs out of her eyes.

"...You. Are. A dumbass."

"Maybe _you're_ the dumbass for getting scared every time," he replied, still laughing as he helped her to her feet.

She stood up too fast, causing them to nearly bonk heads. Luckily, she straightened just in time, the heat surging back up to her face as she cleared her throat and awkwardly slid her arms out of his grip.

"There're some blankets on the couch my momma doesn't use if you want a couple. It'll get cold in here fast," she muttered, pointing towards the open windows meaningfully.

"This might be a stupid question, but...why're the windows open in December?"

"Habit."

"So if I closed them in the middle of the night, you'd-"

"Kill you."

"Right, thought so. Gotchya. Blankets it is!" he said cheerfully before leaving the room. Kiera yawned and shook her head, diving into her bed and wrapping herself within the covers.

"Damn tinglies. Can't they go back to hibernatin'?"

_**

* * *

**_

_**THE ****NEXT MORNING...**_

Poked. She was being poked. Who would be stupid enough to poke her in the morning? That was a level of stupidity even _Sora_ knew not to reach for.

Kiera opened her eyes and sat up in surprise. "...Momma? The hell're you doing up before the afternoon?"

Her mom, who was currently standing above her, put her hands on her hips. "Usually I don't. But I woke up last night after rememberin' you were back, and I laid there for a while, and I thought... 'Why...When was the last time I woke Kiera up for school and fixed her breakfast?' So I did."

Kiera eyed her as if she were insane. "You...fixed me..._breakfast_."

"Yup. It's downstairs on the counter. School starts in an hour, by the way," she threw over her shoulder, careful to dodge Sora, who was sprawled out on her floor snoring away. Then she gave Sora a double-take and turned to look at her daughter with wide eyes. "Ain't that the boy you were kissin' in the den last night? The one who took my beer all fancy-like?"

Kiera blushed and sweatdropped at the same time. "...Yeah. That's the one."

"...Well, ain't _you_ the trollip!" she exclaimed with a giggle, going downstairs without another word. Kiera sighed and rested her elbows on her thighs, rubbing her temples in annoyance. "It's a sad, _sad _day for humanity when Kiera Sage is the most mature woman in a household."

With that said, she groaned and stood, not entirely believing her mom thought she'd be going to school. Kiera figured she'd just TELL HER she was going to school, then go wander for the day.

Yeah.

She nodded determinedly to herself before heading for the shower. On her way, she nudged Sora with her foot.

"Unh?"

"You alive?"

"Uhhh...Uh-huh. I think so," he mumbled from somewhere underneath the blankets.

"Good. Wake up."

"Unh."

"Is that a yes, or a no, orrr..."

"Unh."

"Oh. Alright." Kiera rolled her eyes and shook her head, going to her bathroom for that hot shower her skin was begging for.

* * *

After taking her sweet time in the shower, almost falling asleep standing up _twice_, she walked out to find that Sora was still asleep. Which, of course, just wouldn't do since _she _had to be awake at this ungodly hour.

So she did what any other person in her position would do. She summoned a foghorn and blew it right above his head.

Sora promptly shot out of the covers like a bullet, five whole feet off the ground. "AHHHHHHHHH!"

"GOOD MORNING, STARSHINE! THE EARTH SAYS HELLL-_OOOOO_!" Kiera shouted happily, tossing the foghorn in the air and catching it with one hand expertly.

She then pointed towards the door. "OUT," she said menacingly, gripping her towel tighter.

Sora's temple throbbed as he trudged out, blankets tucked under his arm and rubbing his ears with his free hands. "Owww," he groaned.

Kiera grinned to herself as she shut the door behind him, going to her closet. Usually, her room was a mess, so she would just pick something off the floor and smell it. If it smelled nice and was weather-suitable – and fit, of course – she'd wear it. Now that everything had been taken out and put back in, she could see her floor again.

Which was great and all, except she wasn't in the mood to go clothes-hunting in her closet. Kiera sighed, but then sweatdropped as she heard Sora let out a startled yell, followed by:

_**THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.**_

"Owwww," he groaned, and Kiera giggled. _Did he just fall down the stairs? _

After slipping on some jeans and her neon blue "OM NOM NOM" t-shirt in under a minute, she headed for the stairs while hopping on one foot, trying to get her other Converse on.

Sora's temple throbbed as she went down the stairs with ease while hopping on one foot. "...How? HOW?"

"Almost sixteen years of practice," she replied cheerfully, tying her shoe while still going on one foot. He just groaned and continued to rub his head. "Your stupid blankets tripped me. Unnnh, my head and ass hurt so bad right now..."

Kiera started giggling again as she went to the kitchen to grab a glass of OJ, and sweatdropped at the sight before her.

On the counter was a box of Saltine crackers, a half-crumbled Pop-Tart, stale potato chips, and a frozen waffle.

And a carton of OJ.

"...Uh...BREAKFAST LOOKS GREAT, MOMMA!" she called out, assuming her mom was in the den.

Sure enough, she shouted back from the den, "GOOD! I'LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! Phew, too much work!" she exclaimed as they heard the distinct sound of a beer can's tab being popped open.

Kiera sighed and shook her head, shaking the carton of OJ while grabbing a glass out of the cabinet at the same time. "It seriously shocks me that she doesn't have a beer gut by now," she muttered as she twisted the cap off the carton.

She and Sora made a face as a sour smell almost immediately filled the room. Kiera peered in the carton and spastically dumped it out in the sink. "Ugh, it's lumpy! I didn't even know orange juice _did _that!"

She summoned some Febreeze and spastically sprayed the whole room, making Sora sweatdrop as he innocently ate a Saltine cracker. "...Water it is," she said with a sigh, temple throbbing as she ran water in the kitchen sink.

"Couldn't you just summon some fresh orange juice?" Sora wondered, crumbs flying across the counter.

"I could, but I don't feel like it, so NEH."

"Neh yourself."

"Neh YOURself."

"NEH TO YOU ALL, NOW SHUT UP, BRIDEZILLAS IS ON!" her mom shouted from the den, turning up the television.

Both teens sweatdropped, and Kiera just shook her head as Sora tried not to laugh. "Not a word."

"I didn't say a thing, Kiera," he replied with a smirk.

"Keep it that way," she muttered moodily as she ate what was left of the Pop-Tart. After popping a huge bite into her mouth, she continued chewing it as she summoned her trusty Hot Topic jacket with the junk food and dinosaurs on it. She then summoned her bag and headed for the door.

"Be back later!" she called out over her shoulder.

"HAVE FUN AT SCHOOL!" her mom shouted back before giggling. "Hehehe...fun at school...that's a good one, I should write that down."

* * *

Kiera dug in her bag for her keys as she crossed the yard, clutching them with a grin. "School my ass." She was starting the car and adjusting the rear view mirror (_Mom HAS been in the car!_) when Sora suddenly knocked on the window.

"AHHHH! GOD DAMMIT, STOP _DOING _THAT!" she shouted, temple throbbing. Sora shrugged innocently, and she rolled the window down. "What, whaddaya want?"

"You're going to school, right?"

Kiera scoffed. "As far as my momma's concerned, sure. Why?" she asked in an absentminded tone as she turned the heat up. She was freezing.

_...Probably would've been a good idea to wear a long-sleeved shirt, but oh well. Too late now; I'm ready to get the hell outta here._

There was a pause, and she glanced up from the heating vents by the dash to look up at him quizzically. "...Can I come?" he asked almost uncertainly.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Why?" He shrugged, and she stared at him for a few moments longer before sighing heavily in defeat and unlocking the car doors. "...Get in."

He grinned and went around, getting in the passenger seat. "Any cars comin'?" she asked, looking behind her as she put the car in reverse.

"Cars? Oh, right, these things. Nope."

"Good," she said simply as she floored it and pulled out, smirking as Sora gulped and spastically grabbed the seat belt. "_Now _I know what these're for!" he muttered to himself.

"Yeah, they keep me from making you fly out the windshield. ...Unfortunately," she replied, making his temple throb. "Sorry to foil your evil plot once again."

"Apology accepted," she said brightly, waiting at the red light.

"...Why aren't we moving?" Sora wondered. Kiera mentally facepalmed. _It's like frigging teaching Morgan to drive all over again!_

"When the light's red, you stop. When it's yellow, you slow down or try to outrun the red light that comes next. You can only go when it's green, unless you're in that lane over there."

"Ohhh, okay," he said, nodding slowly. "So...how far are we from your school?"

"Not far. Not that it matters, I'm not going."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you know that?"

"I thought you _were_!"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Are you kidding? I've been gone for _months_! Do you have any idea what kind of WORK I've missed? I'll be totally lost the whole time, so what's the point? ...Oh God..."

"What, what's wrong?"

Kiera struck the Ultimate Depressed Pose. "...If I ever get back home for good...I'll have to repeat my grade for missing all that school and work. ...I must be flunking all my classes by this point! I'M GONNA BE STUCK IN A CLASS FULL OF STRANGERS AND PEOPLE EVEN MORE IMMATURE THAN _ME_!" she moaned, banging her head against the steering wheel miserably.

Sora sweatdropped. "It can't be THAT bad, can it?"

"WRONG THING TO SAY!" she moaned, looking up in time to see the light turn green. She hit the gas, not quite flooring it this time, and Sora crossed his arms thoughtfully.

"I think you should go."

"Yeah? And why's that?"

"'Cause I wanna see what it's like. I haven't been to school in forever! ...You know...because I was taken from my home against my will and all..." he said in an innocently sober tone.

Kiera growled to herself as sympathy hit her, wondering briefly if he was like Jasper or something in that he could control her emotions every so often.

"God...DAMMIT!" she shouted, making an illegal u-turn and flooring the gas.

"ARE YOU CRAZY? WE'RE GONNA DIE!" he shouted as he spastically flailed around due to her sharp turns.

"DON'T WANNA BE LATE FOR SCHOOL, DO YAAAAA?"


	38. La Fina Linea

**Yay! We're back! Well, this is 25 pages long not counting the Author's Note, so I believe we have a record for this fic now! Phew, and a lot of - **

**Kiera: (Teleports in out of nowhere) PRESENTS? WERE YOU ABOUT TO SAY LOTS OF PRESENTS?**

**Me: ...Well...Yeah... (Sweatdrops as she does her Happy Dance)**

**Sora: (Sighs) Great. Let's just get this over with.**

**Kiera: Awww, you're just mad because I get better presents.**

**Me: Whatever, you two. ON WITH THE PRESENTS! These are from Emi and Alex: Kiera (Hands her present), you get a bazooka and a PsP aaaaand... (epic drumroll sequence) THE EPIC SUPER AWESOME NINJA AWARD! **

**Kiera:YAY!**

**Sora: What about me?**

**Me: Oh, right. YOU, sir, get a Nerf Gun, a Nintendo DS, aaaaand... (Epic drumroll sequence again) The ULTIMATE HUGEST PERVERT DUMBASS AWARD! **

**Sora: (Heavy sarcasm) Yaaaaayyyy- Oooh, wait, I've never had one of THESE before! (Plays with Nerf gun)**

**Kiera and Me: (Sweatdrop)**

**Me: Well, um, anyway. THIS is from Morcelink, it's a note: "(rolls on the ground while laughing)Even Kiera called you a dumbass, Sora![15 minutes later](stops laughing and clears throat)yeah...there are two cakes for everyone. One is an 84ft tall oblivion keyblade shaped cake. The other is an 84ft tall oathkeeper keyblade shaped cake. There are no special side affect ingrediants(In other words, just normal ones),(Sora is SO FRICKING DAMN LUCKY that I ran out of them)and there is a cake in a case in a protective safe that has been accidentally sent to this fanfic.(Kon and Ichigo screwed up again)Please send it back to me.(WITHOUT OPENING IT OR(grins evilly)you'll find out what happens if you DO open it)Also, is Kiera a fan of Justin?...If so, Ichigo is freaking dead."**

**Kiera: Justin who?**

**Me: Justin Beiber.**

**Kiera: Oh. ...Naaahh, but...Ichigo? Are we talkin' Tokyo Mew Mew Ichigo or the Bleach Ichigo?**

**Me: Bleach Ichigo.**

**Kiera: Ohhhh! Okay! ...He can die, then. He stole my cookies.**

**Sora: That was me, moron.**

**Kiera: No, NO, we were with Mandy and he ate my cookie stash! THE MONSTERRRR! (Sobs and wails)**

**Sora and Me: (Epic sweatdrops) **

**Sora: Mandy, just...please get on with it.**

**Me: Sure. She'll be fine in about fifty seconds, anyway. ON WITH THE PRESENTS! These are from flowergirl5345, I'll just read the note: "As a present to Kiera and the authoress, I present to you... YOUR VERY OWN MANSION! As for Sor-Sor, you get... a pack of gum(careful, I may have "accidently" put some weird chemical in it. I think it was Chemical X or something? Eh..."**

**Sora: (Gulps) Great. Your reviewers're trying to kill me now.**

**Me: NUUU, she said ACCIDENTALLY!**

**Sora: THERE'S QUOTATIONS AROUND IT!**

**Me: ...Well, um...anyway...Also, thanks Emi and Alex for the authoress present. XD ANYWAY, MOVING ON! It's from XxAllisonKirkland96xX, here's a note: **

****

"D: You're all so mean to Sor Sor... I'm giving ya all presents anyways!

To Kiera: a swift kick in the arse! No, no... A full collection of Hetalia: Axis Powers plus all the music from the show for ya to study and get better at history of WWI and WWII~ (it really works)

****

To Sora: a kiss on the cheek~ er... No... A new keyblade keychain that I came up with. It turns people into the opposit gender with one hit and makes them pass out so they don't die from the transformation! (it's also rainbow covered with the male symbols on the blade~ sorry but I'm a yaoi addict named Allison (and currently trying to ship cats as nations)) and... You get a Riku plushie! Cuz I know how close you guys are~

To teh authoris: Um... Hm... I give you... A Starbucks gift card with $50, a jack the ripper plushie (I'm a freaky part Brit, sue me), a boeing airplane, and Microsoft's latest style of laptop to ship this wonderful love fest to us all~ but please be nicer to Sor Sor or I'll make you buy a real Seattlit starbucks with that gift card :D"

Me: (Cuddles plushie) YAY! JACK THE RIPPER! That guy fascinates me.

Sora: (Points at Kiera and laughs) Not only were you gonna get your ass kicked, she was gonna kiss me. Whaddaya think about THAT?

Kiera: I think she must be insane to wanna kiss you, MUCH LESS kick ME.

Sora: (Sweatdrops) Kiera, you've kissed me, like, eighty times.

Kiera: SEVENTY-NINE, THANKS!

**Sora and Me: (Eyeroll)**

Me: ANYWAY. Crazy Ninja Lover presents Kiera a bazooka and Sora gets... (drumroll) THIS MAGNIFICENT MUFFIN CRUMB FROM OFF HER SHIRT!

Sora: ...Oh. You shouldn't have.

Kiera: (Giggles at his expression) ...Hey, is that crumb blueberry or chocolate?

Sora: Can't tell. (Stares at crumb with interest)

Me: Er...Whatever. shadowless sends, with a note:

****

**"To Sora, you get keyblade armor and a new drive form. it's called hero form. Your clothes turn green and you can't get hurt plus you can dual wield. For Keira you get a time out for hurting Sora too many times. good luck at school."**

Kiera: HEY, green's my favorite color! ^^

Sora: (Points at her and laughs even harder than last time) HAHAHAHAHA! YOU GET A TIME OUT FOR HURTING ME!

Kiera: WHAAAAT? (Re-Reads note)

Me: C'mon, Kiera, get it over with. Let's go (Points to pink Barbie Time-Out Chair)

Kiera: NAAAAOOOO! (Tries to teleport away)

Me: NUUUUPE! (Sets her down in the seat and drops the Bubble on her)

Sora: What does that bubble do?

Me: Keeps her powers from working. Also, she can scream all she wants, but we won't hear her.

Sora: ...Can I borrow that?

Me: Absolutely not. I have too many characters I'll need it for. In fact, it's been Ichigo's for forever. I hope he's alright with sharing.

Sora: 0_0;

**Me: Weeeelll. Read, review, ENJOOOY! **

****

**********

* * *

**

Kiera laughed as Sora sighed rather loudly in relief once she parked in the packed parking lot. "Oh, thank God."

Her laughter abruptly turned into a string of mental curses as she heard the bell go off, sighing and grabbing her bag. "Crap! Great, that's just _splendid_..."

Then she remembered she was a Gatekeeper. Without a word, she grabbed Sora by the shirt. He made a weird noise of surprise, but it was cut off as they teleported. With a bit of the usual pins-and-needles tingling, they ended up standing in the hallway.

There was only one other kid out there, but he was listening to his iPod while changing songs. Luckily.

This time Kiera was the one sighing in relief, keeping her hold on Sora's shirt as she dragged him down the hall.

"Where're we going?" he asked, struggling for a few moments before finally catching up.

"Main office. Gives us an excuse for being late. Besides, you can't just show up and go to school here, even if it's just for one day. ...Speak any foreign languages?"

"What? No!"

"Crap. Not even Japanese?"

"What's that?"

Kiera sighed and facepalmed. "But...The name 'Sora' sounds so Japanese-y! Isn't that, like, their word for sky or something?"

"How should I know?" he wondered with a sweatdrop. Kiera sighed again, "accidentally" tripping him as the main office came into view. "_OF _NO USE!"

"OW! DAMMIT, KIERA, THAT HURT!" he groaned before easily catching up to her. She swung the door to the office open, strolling in.

* * *

"Mornin', ladies," she greeted as she signed them both in as late.

"...Kiera?" two of the three ladies roaming around asked in surprise. The one behind the desk adjusted her glasses before widening her eyes in surprise. "You're back!"

One of the younger women whom Kiera hadn't seen before sweatdropped. "...You know her by name? She's in here that often. ...That's just sad."

Kiera's temple throbbed. "Well, I don't know _yours_. Care to share?"

"No."

"Alrighty, then. Anyway, I've got a new kid with me. Sora, Office Ladies. Office Ladies, Sora."

"Hiya!" he said brightly, waving in acknowledgement. They blinked in response, tilting their heads as if puzzled. "...Is he Japanese?"

Sora's temple throbbed. "NO."

"Huh. Your name sure _sounds_ Japanese, kid." Kiera threw up a hand with a laugh of agreement. "I know, right! Anyway, do ya...think you could do me a _huge_ favor and put him in all my classes?"

The ladies looked at each other. The younger one leaned towards the others. "Are we allowed to do that?" she stage-whispered.

"Probably not," the second-youngest replied. The oldest one (easily fifty) waved them off with a sort of cackle. "Pfft, screw the system! What's the worst these two could do, huh?"

Sora and Kiera looked at each other and smirked, thinking the same exact thing._ Is that a trick question?_

They all shrugged, and the two teens focused on looking as innocent as possible as they wrote up Sora's schedule and handed him a ton of books (five, to be exact). "There ya go!" the oldest one said cheerfully.

"Bye, Sora," the youngest one said as they left, in a tone that was WAY too friendly. Kiera's temple throbbed, and Sora laughed as he pushed his hand against the small of her back right before she turned around to say a word or two. "Just keep moving, and stop being so _jealous _all the time! ...Jeez."

"Shut up. Just _shut up_!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE MINUTES LATER**..._

"Kiera?"

"Huh?"

"Why're we walking so slow?" Sora wondered with a sweatdrop as they continued walking almost as slow as they would if they were underwater.

Kiera smirked. "I'M moving this slow 'cause I don't wanna go to first period. Why're YOU going so slow? You've got the room number and everything right there in your hand."

"If you don't wanna go to first period, why would _I _want to?"

"Good, you catch on quickly," she said cheerfully. Kiera smirked, rubbing her hands together almost evilly. "This works out great! Since you're a new kid and everything, I could just use YOU as an excuse for being late! I could just say I was showin' you around or to your locker, or some crap like that."

Sora sweatdropped. "...Glad I could be of use to you."

"It's about time, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd know nothing about dealing with useless tag-alongs," he muttered with an eyeroll. "HEY!" she said defensively, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "I've been VERY useful, thanks very much!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but wasn't it YOU that was screaming at me to...what was it again...? Oh, right. 'KILL IT, KILL IT, KILL IT SOOO-RAAA'!" he exclaimed, making his voice all high and girly.

She narrowed her eyes. "I do NOT sound like that. Besides! I'd never even _seen _those things before! Screw you, those Heartless were frigging SCARY that first day!"

She looked around suddenly as he started laughing at her. "...Hey...wait..." Kiera grabbed him by the back of his shirt, not wanting to make him spill his books and crap everywhere. That'd make too much noise.

"Where're we going NOW?" he wondered, just letting her drag him into the bathroom. He glanced around, sweatdropping. "...Why the _hell _did you bring me in the girls' bathroom?"

Kiera sighed and rolled her eyes, checking underneath the stalls to make sure it was empty. It was, and she straightened to turn and look at him. "Okay. I'll probably never do this again; at least, not until I've figured out a better way to do it without using up so much of my Gatekeeper energy mumbo-frigging-jumbo crap," she said as she washed her hands out of habit.

"..._What _exactly will you never do again?" Sora asked suspiciously, trying to decide whether or not he liked where this was going.

Kiera pushed up the sleeve of her jacket, and as she got closer to him he backed up, causing him to back himself against the wall. She rolled her eyes before popping her knuckles and reaching her hand up to touch his face, against the top of his eye.

He seemed to have made up his mind on whether the situation was good or bad; he sure didn't protest. After closing her eyes for just a second (mainly to at least attempt to force those damn tinglies down), she opened them again, that weird energy of hers surging from her fingertips.

His black eye was gone in a matter of moments. Her fingers stayed there for just a few more seconds before she let her hand fall, cocking her head towards the mirror. "Check it out."

Sora blinked at her for a second before snapping out of it, shaking himself slightly as she backed away from him. He turned to look in the mirror, gaping after realizing what she'd done. "Kiera...did you just _heal _me?"

"Yep. Shocked the hell outta me, too."

"You never _told _me you could do that!"

"That's 'cause I figured it out yesterday. When the ship made that huge lurch while the guys tried to start it, I was in the bathroom and fell in the bathtub. I whammed into that handle thingy that changes the water-"

"The...faucet?" he asked with a sweatdrop. Her temple throbbed. "...Yeah, that. Sure. But anyway, it broke the skin and I was grabbing my back and cussing up a storm when it just started...healing. Outta nowhere. But then, I felt so tired afterward. ...Kinda like I do now," she concluded with a weary sigh.

"Sucks to have such a cool little ability, then be so tired after healing something as simple as a black eye," she mumbled before stomping out of the bathroom.

Sora followed her not long after, grinning. "Why'd you do it, then?"

"'Cause if people saw you with a black eye, walking with me, they'd assume too much."

"Such as?"

"Well for one, they could think I abuse you. Or I was fending you off or something. Or that you're behind whatever recent robbery or assault charge that's floating around here. Or you were involved in some kind of bad drug deal. Y'know, the usual."

"Usual?" Sora wondered as they approached the door to her – and temporarily his – first period. She just flashed a smile. "Welcome to Memphis."

* * *

When she opened the door, the whole class' heads immediately shot up to look. Most of their jaws dropped. "...KIERA?" more than half of them asked in disbelief.

"...'Sup."

Her teacher, Coach Mann, sweatdropped. "...Welcome back, Sage. How long's it been?"

"About five months."

"Four," Levonda corrected, not pausing the slightest in her eternal quest to file her freakishly long nails. To Kiera, they looked the exact same length as the last time she'd seen them. Only this time, they were purple with electric blue zebra stripes.

"Oh. Four. I stand corrected," Kiera replied cheerfully, handing Coach Mann a note. He read it over before nodding, cocking his head towards her usual seat. "Take a seat."

He glanced at Sora, who blinked all innocent-like. "Lucky for you, James was shot in a drive-by and he's out for the next three months, so that seat by Kiera's empty for a while. ...Or maybe _un_-luckily..." he said thoughtfully before shaking his big bald head and resuming copying whatever assignment he was copying onto the dry-erase board.

Kiera watched in amusement as Sora took his seat, took one look at the board, and immediately leaned towards her. "...What's with all those letters? I thought this was a _math _class," he asked in a whisper.

"That IS math. It's algebra. Welcome to Algebra II, my personal hellhole," she whispered back somewhat-cheerfully.

His temple throbbed. "...Great." But then _he _was the one laughing at the complete change her expression made once she realized she was just as lost as he was.

"...I don't get _any_ of this," she moaned, letting her head fall against the desk.

_

* * *

_

_**FORTY-SEVEN MINUTES LATER**..._

"...So, all you have to do is change the product of 'y' and its coefficient into-"

"Sora, for the love of God, shut the hell up before I make you _sit _in front of all these kids," Kiera growled, temple throbbing menacingly. He just smirked, following her up the stairs as she hauled ass, trying not to be late.

"Not _my_ fault you were too embarrassed to ask the teacher guy."

"I-I wasn't too _embarrassed_! I just...wanted to do it myself," she exclaimed defensively as she reached the top of the third set of stairs, opening the door to that hallway and waiting for him.

"I don't get why you're in such a hurry. I'm like your personal hall pass, remember?"

She growled in response, which just made him laugh again. Kiera huffed to herself, wondering how this plan had backfired. She had expected a lot more of _Sora_ looking like the idiot, being in a new environment and all, but instead...how the hell did _she_ manage to look like an idiot?

Suddenly, she was tackled from behind, snapping her right out of her thoughts. "YOU FRIGGING BRAT, WHERE THE HELL'VE YOU BEEEEEN?" Morgan shouted in her ear.

Kiera gasped for air, laughing at the same time. "L-Long story! Get the hell off me, you freak!"

Once she was out from underneath her best friend, she noticed Sora looking rather confused and about to summon his Keyblade. She shook her head quickly in warning, which just made him more confused.

Morgan was still laughing, helping Kiera up and handing her a binder she'd dropped. "_Damn_, you look different. All...non-lazy. You been workin' out?" she inquired, eyeing her up and down.

"Stop checking me out, you're freaking out the new kid!" Kiera exclaimed.

Morgan cocked an eyebrow. "New kid? Where?" Kiera sweatdropped. "...Beside you, moron." Morgan turned and jumped after noticing Sora, who immediately changed his expression to friendly and innocent.

"Oh SHIT, you scared me, New Kid!" she said with a laugh. Kiera rolled her eyes, grinning. "Morgan, Sora. Sora, Morgan."

"Ohhh, so YOU'RE Morgan!" he said suddenly. "Kiera mentioned you." Morgan looked over at Kiera. "Ohhh, _did _she? When'd you too meet, huh?"

"A few months ago," Sora replied without thinking, making Kiera stomp on his foot when someone poked Morgan's shoulder and handed her some homework they'd copied from her. "Idiot!" she hissed. "Now we'll have to make some epic story up!"

"What was that?" she asked suddenly, having been trying to catch the last part Kiera whispered.

"N-Nothing!" they said a bit too quickly, smiling innocently. Morgan rolled her bright green eyes. "Chyeah, okay. So anyway. Where the hell HAVE ya been, Sage?" she asked as they walked down the hallway together. Sora sweatdropped at how casually they dodged things like people pushing past, random couples fighting with each other, and the occasional lighter being lit or switchblade being brandished.

"Well, um, ya see...I went to...um...JAPAN! Yes, Japan. I went to Japan to help rebuild this school that was destroyed in an earthquake with my cousin. You remember Matt, right? Yeah, it was in exchange for not buying him birthday or Christmas presents for five years. Fair deal. And I met Sora there. And his parents wanted him to come to America for a little while, just to see how things run around here. So yeah," she concluded cheerfully.

Morgan chuckled. "So they chose to leave him in the hands of YOU? And letchya take him to MEMPHIS?"

"I know, right? I think I'm just too charming for my own good." Morgan and Sora both laughed at her on that one, making her glare at them.

Which got all three of them laughing as Morgan opened the door to Spanish II Honors. Kiera had forgotten which class they had been heading for, and now an evil grin spread onto her face.

Spanish? A class where Sora couldn't understand a word she was saying? _Ahhh, this'll be great,_ she thought mischievously as their Spanish teacher noticed them.

She was a Latino woman with long, wavy dark brown hair. Kind of like Kiera's mom's, only shinier. Probably because her teacher had actually _showered_ recently. Her eyes were caramel-colored, and she was wearing a red sweater that hugged her body just enough, not too much.

Her heels clomped at frightening speed as she ran up to Kiera. "Kiera! Cuando el infierno has sido?" she exclaimed, plopping her hands onto her shoulders with wide eyes.** _["Kiera! Where the hell have you been?"]_**

Kiera smiled innocently. "Larga historia corta, fui a Japón y trajo una morón volver conmigo." **_["Long story short, I went to Japan and brought a moron back with me."]_**

"Qué, _Morgan_ fue con usted?" Sra. Valdez asked with a smirk.**_ ["What, __Morgan__ went with you?"]_**

"Ahora que sólo rude," Morgan muttered with a pout, crossing her arms. **_["Now that's just rude."]_**

Sora had been sweatdropping majorly throughout the whole thing, and now his sweatdrops increased even more as all three girls started laughing. "...KIERA, THE HELL'S GOING ON?" he stage-whispered.

"This is Spanish, stupid-head."

"Yeah, and?"

"You speak _Spanish_ in Spanish class."

"...Can't ya speak English around _me_?" he whined. Kiera batted her lashes at him innocently. "But that's against the _rules_, So-raaa."

His temple throbbed in response, and he watched as they continued to talk in Spanish.

Morgan smirked at her. "Así que... no puede entender una palabra estamos diciendo?" **_["So...he can't understand a word we're saying?"]_**

Kiera grinned and shook her head as Sra. Valdez went about her business, saying something about Dion lighting his desk on fire again. "No. No hay una sola cosa. Ai no gran?"** _["Nope. Not a single thing. Ain't it great?"]_**

Her friend's smirk grew. "Así. Cuánto tiempo le gustaba, huh?"** _["So. How long've you liked him, huh?"]_**

Momentarily stunned, Kiera's eyes widened as she shouted "W-WHAT?". That caught Sora's attention, and she waved him off. He went back to moping as Sra. Valdez handed him more papers of which Kiera knew not of.

"Y-Yo no como él, el infierno usted talkin'?" **_["I-I don't like him, the hell you talkin' about?"]_**

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Kiera, he sido tu mejor amigo durante tres años. Le puedo decir cuando usted como alguien, e incluso si yo pudiera... está escrito todo su rostro cuando se mira el muchacho!" **_["Kiera, I've been your best friend for three years. I can tell when you like someone, and even if I couldn't...it's written all over your face whenever you look at the guy!"]_**

Her temple throbbed in response. "Ohhhh, sé lo que pasó! Usted confundieron mi mirada de puro odio para algo más. Totalmente comprensible. Se trata de una fina línea." **_["Ohhhh, I know what happened! You mistook my look of pure hatred for something else. Totally __understandable. It's a fine line."] _**

Kiera looked over at Sora as he started fumbling through the papers spastically as if they held information of the Gods or something. She sighed heavily. "...Una multa, horrible malditos line." **_["...A fine, horrible damn line."]_**

Morgan's expression softened. "Kiera, jeez...el infierno ocurrido en Japón? Ese nivel de emoción completamente nuevo para usted. Yo no sabía usted considera cualquier otra que ira o hyperness!" **_["Kiera, jeez...the hell happened in Japan? THAT level of emotion's totally new for you. I didn't know you felt any other than anger or hyperness!"]_**

Instead of getting defensive again, a pained expression crossed her face. It wasn't easy lying to Morgan, but it wasn't like she could just tell her she had found out she had these random powers that connected her to Sora in ways no one else could possibly understand. Or that she hadn't been working out, but instead fighting Heartless and Disney villains and Organization XIII members left and right.

Or where she'd _really _been all this time in the _first _place.

So instead, Kiera sighed heavily. "Es difícil de explicar. Serio, lo digo en serio. No puedo explicarlo. ...Aunque quisiera poder, tanto para nuestro bien," she finally replied with a little laugh at the end to try and lighten the mood. **_["It's hard to explain. Seriously, I mean it. I can't explain it. ...Even though I wish I could, for both our sakes."]_**

Morgan stared her down, and Kiera squirmed a little. Finally, she shrugged. "Yo tomo la palabra para que... Esta es la primera vez que he visto a todos ustedes...I dunno. Secreto-y." **_["I'll take your word for it...This IS the first time I've seen you all...I dunno. Secret-y."]_**

Then she twirled some of her dirty blonde hair on her finger as she peered over Kiera's shoulder at Sora, who was still flipping through those papers of his. "Bueno, hablando de 'líneas finas'... es bastante multa por sí mismo!" she said in that tone that always made Kiera laugh. **_["Well, speaking of 'fine lines'...He's pretty fine himself!"]_**

She then cocked her head. "Por lo menos me dicen coincidirán conmigo en _que_ uno!" **_["At least tell me you agree with me on __that__ one!"]_**

Kiera opened and closed her mouth a couple times like an idiotic fish, and Morgan started laughing. "Ohhh HOMBRE, mirar cómo rojo tu rostro es ahora! Hahaha!" **_[Ohhh MAN, look at how red your face is now! Hahaha!"]_**

Kiera's temple throbbed, mortified by this whole conversation on the inside. "Bueno, bueno, bueno, sí, estoy de acuerdo. Poco. Sí. Bien. Feliz?" She snapped. **_["Okay, okay, fine, yes, I agree. Little bit. Yeah. Alright. Happy?"]_**

Morgan started laughing again. "_Extático_, muchas gracias!" **_["__Ecstatic__, thanks very much!"]_**

* * *

Once they moved on to the subject of Pop-Tarts, out of her peripherals, Kiera noticed Sora's paper-flipping got less and less frequent. _...Hmm...That's odd._

Once the bell had rung to signal it was time to run to your next class, Kiera sighed with a hint of relief. She had been starting to frigging miss the English language, thanks to her and Morgan's conversation. Once again, her school plan had failed. She had planned on saying all kinds of random stuff about Sora, mostly about how much of a total DUMBASS he was, but nooo. Morgan had to make her go all deep and thoughtful on the subject.

_Dammit. _

Once in the hallway, Morgan almost effortlessly switched her sentence back to English, which for some reason just blew Sora's mind. Even though Kiera had done the same exact thing, that's the part _she _didn't get.

But whatever. Unfortunately, they didn't have class with Morgan until sixth and seventh, so they had to turn in different directions. "Promise you'll be there for sixth and seventh? I'm still tryin' to convince myself you're actually back."

"Promise. Later!"

"See ya. Oh, nice meetin' ya, Sora!"

"You too."

Once they'd turned the corner, Sora nodded. "So that was Morgan."

"Yep."

Sora was about to say more, but then someone ran over and put their elbow on his shoulder, leaning past him to peer at Kiera. "Finally, you're back. I was beginnin' to wonder if we should put out an Amber Alert or somethin'!"

Crap. It was Ian; THE last person she'd wanted to see. He'd _only_ been trying to go out with her for three years. ...And damn, was he annoying about it.

"Hey, Ian," she said glumly. He grinned in acknowledgement before glancing down at Sora, who had been trying to secretively slide his elbow off him. "...Who's this guy?"

"That's Sora, he's- ..." Kiera trailed off, an idea popping into her head. A slow grin spread onto her face. "He's myyyy...my boyfriend. Yep, yes, that's it." Finally, she'd found a use for Sora.

_Speaking _of Sora, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, but she secretively stomped on his foot so hard that he shut up before he could even get any sound out of his gaping mouth. Ian's face fell, and he frowned. "..._Really _now?"

"Yep. Has been for months now. _Right_, Sora?" she asked, her tone suggesting that he go with it if he valued his life.

After hearing that threatening tone of hers, he immediately played along. He even went so far as to wrap his free arm around her waist as he grinned triumphantly at Ian. "Yep, _exactly_."

"Sooo, is there something you wanted?" Kiera asked, blinking innocently at him. Ian's temple throbbed at their grins, and he crossed his arms and muttered some curses under his breath as he stomped off.

"Where're you going?" she called after him in that innocent tone of hers, and she and Sora both laughed as he flipped them off without turning around. "Nice meeting ya!" Sora called out in his own little cluelessly innocent tone, making Kiera laugh even harder.

"Thanks for that," she said between laughs, sliding out of his grip before the tinglies could take over. Sora grinned. "See? And that wouldn't have happened if you HADN'T come to school just for this one day."

She stuck her tongue out at him on that one, but then an idea suddenly hit her. And it was pure genius, she could tell already. Kiera gasped excitedly, dragging him by his shirt into the stairwell and going down the stairs that lead outside.

"Where're we going?"

She didn't reply, just made him stand in front of her while she put herself in a corner. "Just stay there for a second, I gotta summon something."

"Summon what?"

"A list."

"List of what?"

"STOP ASKING SO MANY QUESTIONS, DAMMIT, YOU'RE MAKING MY BRAIN HURT!" she hollered, summoning the list she'd mentioned. Sora just rolled his eyes and moved to stand so close that they were touching in a couple places, _just _so he could read the list from above her head.

"It's fifty or so ways to piss off teachers," Kiera explained, moving away from him as quickly as possible. She was getting _reeeeaaally _sick of the damn tinglies trying to take over every time they came in contact.

Even when they'd first started making appearances, the tinglies had _never_ been this constant...or this strong...

"Since we're only here for just this one day, we might as well do what we do best and piss authority figures off to no end, right?" she added, smiling over at him.

They were soon grinning the same mischievous grin, and they hunched over the paper. "Alright, here's what we're gonna do," she said before they lowered their voices to nothing but hushed whispers and occasional evil snickers.

_

* * *

_

_**FIVE MINUTES LATER**..._

"BUM bum bum-bum, BUM bum bum-bum-"

"The hell're you humming?" Sora whispered while putting his hand against his ear as if speaking through an earpiece. They were currently walking with their backs against the wall as they kept their hands formed like guns, looking with shifty eyes at whoever happened to pass by.

"The Mission Impossible theme. It's a _must _for spy things like these," she whispered back into her "ear piece".

"Ohhh, gotchya. BUM bum bum-bum, BUM bum bum-bum..."

They kept humming until they got to the classroom, and once they reached the door, Kiera opened it with a quick flick of the wrist before rolling into the room. She rolled into a crouch, assuming the Bond Girl position on the floor. "All clear," she said into her ear piece.

The whole class sweatdropped, but they were obviously happy for the distraction. Sora then walked in, singing at the top of his lungs, "DA-DA DUUUUUNN! DA-DA-DUUUUNNN! DA-DA-DUUUUNNN! DA-DA-DA!"

The teacher, a frizzy-haired middle-aged woman (Kiera's least favorite teacher, which was just _perfect _for something like what they were doing), sweatdropped. "Kiera? What on Earth are you and that young man _doing_?"

"Saving the world..." she stood up and did another Bond Girl pose with her "gun". "One less-boring classroom at a time."

The teacher, Ms. Robertson (she'd been married – and divorced – a grand total of seven times), just sighed heavily and flicked her hand towards Kiera's usual seat. "Please just sit down. And who are you?" she asked Sora.

"Your worst nightmare," he replied in a low deadly voice that even gave Kiera the shivers. But then she waved him off.

"Oh, don't mind him, that's my new pet. He can sit, roll over, AND play dead! See, watch!"

"Oh no, Kiera, please don't make me-"

"SIT!"

**_THUD._**

"Dammit."

"ROLL OVER!" she shouted, and he instantly started rolling all around the classroom. Now the class was REALLY happy to have her back. "DA-A-A-AMMITTT, KIE-RAAAAA!" he shouted as he continued to roll around, his voice sounding weird with each new direction he rolled in.

"N-NOW SIT UP AND PLAY DEAD!" Kiera shouted between giggles. He instantly stood up before falling to the ground.

**_THUD._**

He hit the floor so hard that they _all _winced on his behalf, herself included. "...Dammit, Kieraaa," he managed to get out before groaning and letting his head fall back against the floor.

Ms. Roberston's temple throbbed. "...That was wonderful. Thank you for that lovely demonstration, Kiera. NOW SIT DOWN."

"Aye-Aye!" she said cheerfully, bending down to grab Sora and drag him into an empty seat in front of her. It was actually really convenient, which would prove very unfortunate for Ms. Robertson.

She watched them for a few more seconds before sighing heavily and shaking her head. "...What, not even a 'Welcome back'?" Kiera asked, sniffling a little. "I came...all the way out here...even though...my GOLDFISH DIED THIS MORNING ON TOP OF IT ALL! You...You...YOU MONSTER!" she sobbed, letting her head fall against the desk and starting to moan miserably.

Sora patted her back comfortingly. "There-there, Kiera."

"Thank you, little pet Asian child," she sniffled, making his temple throb and the class laugh some more. Ms. Robertson's temple was on Constant Throb Mode by this time, but she simply cleared her throat.

The whole class fell silent, and Kiera lifted her head off the desk before winking at Sora. He nodded, and she secretively summoned a black Sharpie and slid it over to him out from under her crossed arms.

He took it and immediately went to work, drawing a tiny dot on his arm.

Ms. Robertson stood at the head of the class, hands on her hips. "Alrighty. Yes, I know, it's all _very _exciting that your class clown's back with her little new friend. But this is still _my _English class, and in here, y'all are on _my _time until that bell rings! Got it?"

They all nodded, and Sora raised his hand. "Yes...?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

Sora shrugged. "Why?"

"Well, if you're referring to the bell, it means you switch classes. Surely, I'd expect you to figure that out by now."

He raised his hand again. "...Why?"

"Well, because...When do you usually leave class?"

"Why?"

"Because I asked!"

"Why?"

"Because –" Ms. Robertson cut herself off with an angry expression, and the rest of the class let their snickering turn into laughing. "...Just hush up and pay attention, young man!"

"Why?"

"YOUNG MAN!" she bellowed, and Kiera nudged his leg to signal him to stop as she giggled. He kicked her foot away in response, which made her giggle a little more. Ms. Robertson sighed and shook her head, passing out sheets of paper.

"Alright, first off, I'm passing out random prompts. There's no telling what any of you got, but whatever it is, you'll have to write about it. No ifs, ands, or buts. Got it? Good."

"Yo, this shit's racist!" a random black guy announced. He was sitting to the right of Kiera, and after a second or two of hard thinking, she remembered his name was Devonte.

"And why do you say that?" Ms. Robertson asked in a tone that suggested she really didn't care. He held up his sheet of paper. "This tells me to write about, and I quote, 'Things you like, such as Kool-Aid or fried chicken.' Come on, now, you can't give a black kid somethin' like that, that's racial profilin' right there, ma'am!"

Everyone started laughing except for Sora, who didn't get what was so racist about it. "I'll explain later," Kiera muttered after leaning towards him. Then she leaned towards Devonte.

"Psst. Devonte?"

"Yo?"

"Wanna help us piss her off in honor of my last day in this hellhole?" she asked innocently. He grinned. "Is that a trick question?"

"Okay, here's the plan," she said before saying the rest in a hushed whisper. Meanwhile, Sora was watching the clock intently. Every time a minute passed, he'd make the dot grow bigger.

Once Devonte had nodded and started doing as she said, Kiera began to flick bits of paper everywhere. A lot of them landed on Ms. Robertson's desk, and her temple throbs were steadily increasing. Once one of them landed on her nose, she huffed and snapped her head up from her laptop to look at her.

"KIERA SAGE, FLICK _ONE MORE _PIECE OF PAPER AND _SO _HELP ME!"

Kiera crossed her arms, looking at her disapprovingly. "You're racist against paper, _aren't _you?" The class started snickering, and it turned to laughing as Ms. Robertson started shouting at her and Kiera just smirked the whole time.

"THAT'S IT, THAT'S _IT_! I'VE HAD IT UP TO _HERE _WITH YOU, MS. SAGE! YOU CAN'T JUST COME IN HERE LIKE THE QUEEN OF GODDAMN SHEBA! THIS IS _MY _CLASS, AND YOU MAY BE THIS CLASS' VETERAN CLOWN, BUT I'LL BE _DAMNED _IF I LET YOU RUN THE SHOW IN MY DOMAIN! YOU HEAR ME? AND YOU'LL BE PICKING UP ALL THIS PAPER AFTER CLASS, NOW GET TO WORK ON YOUR DAMN ESSAY!" she bellowed, panting at the end.

There was a long, tense silence. Which was broken by Sora clicking his tongue with sympathy before holding out his arms. "Awww...Does someone need a hug?" he asked Ms. Robertson.

The whole class burst into laughter, even Kiera, as Ms. Robertson huffed at him in response. "I DON'T NEED ANY GRIEF FROM _YOU_, EITHER, YOUNG MAN! YOU'RE EVEN _WORSE_, COMIN' IN HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AND EXPECTIN' TO BE ABLE TO DO WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT! I DON'T CARE IF YOU _ARE _SOME FOREIGNER KID, I DON'T CATER TO _ANY _OF MY STUDENTS, AND YOU'RE _NO _EXCEPTION!"

"...Wow. I can tell you're a _blast _at parties," was his reply. Kiera smirked to herself as Ms. Robertson sighed in defeat, the whole class laughing again. She went back to her desk, stabbing her paper with her pen as she wrote each word.

Later, Kiera and Sora handed their essays in at the same time. They put them right on top, and Ms. Robertson practically dove to read them.

She then stared at both essays for a good fifteen minutes. Sora looked back at Kiera, and she grinned as they secretively high-fived each other.

They had written their entire essay in code; a mixture of Pig Latin and a number system they'd made up on the way to class.

On the bottom of their papers, they'd wrote: "This message will self destruct in one hour. We suggest it be deciphered swiftly. No pressure."

Were they genius, or were they genius?

Sora raised his hand, and Ms. Robertson's temple throbbed yet again. "...YES?"

"I have the utmost faith in you. I'm sure a worldly woman like yourself could figure that code out easily!"

And with that, he beamed at her.

And _continued _to beam.

For twenty-three minutes.

Kiera was glad when Ms. Robertson finally got out of her seat (giving Sora the weirdest look at his smiling) and went to the overhead projector; Sora smiling that long was definitely creepy. "U-Umm, moving on. I believe everyone's turned in their essays."

As soon as her back was turned, everyone switched seats without a single sound. Kiera and Sora ended up next to each other, right by the door.

Convenient, in case Ms. Robertson attempted murder. "We're moving on to gerunds and participles, and then we'll be reading some more of Othello out loud –"

She cut herself off after turning around, eyeing them all doubtfully. She then shook her head and turned back around, fiddling with the plug of the projector.

Kiera and Sora stayed in their seats, while only a select few people quickly (yet somehow quietly) moved. Kiera guessed the quietness was fueled by the whole class's strong mutual desire to piss Ms. Robertson off as much as humanly possible in one class period.

And they were SO succeeding, if her look of total confusion and anger was any indication. "The HELL – okay, nevermind, nevermind. HA! HA! LET'S JUST KEEP GOING!" she said with slightly-psychotic laughter.

Kiera nudged Sora's foot and mouthed one word only: "Lights."

He nodded with a smirk. As soon as Ms. Robertson turned on the projector, which was located right beside the desk in front of Kiera's current one, both teens fell out of their chairs exaggeratedly.

VERY exaggeratedly.

"ARGH, MY EYES! THEY BURN!" they hissed like retarded vampires, making the class laugh again.

Ms. Robertson attempted to keep some control, starting to copy her outline for the day on the overhead.

They got into their seats calmly, like nothing had happened, and Sora nudged her foot next. She smirked and nodded, and he continued expanding his little dot on his arm.

As soon as she knew Ms. Robertson was as distracted as humanly possible, Kiera cleared her throat quietly.

She then belted out into opera as loud as possible. "'I'M HERE FOR YOU,' SHE SAAAAAAID!"

Everyone started looking around as if not knowing who had done it, and Kiera and Sora did the same. Ms. Robertson didn't seem too bothered, and continued writing.

So she nudged his foot. "'AND WEEEE CAN-STAY-FOR-A WHIII-IIIILE'!" he shouted next before continuing to look confused like everyone else.

Ms. Robertson didn't look up, but she gripped her pen tighter. "'MY BOOOOYFRIEND'S GONE'!"

"'WE CAN JUST PRETEND'!"

"LIPS THAT NEED NO INTRODUCTION, NOW WHO'S THE GREATER SIN?"

"YOUR DRAB EYES SEEM TO INVITE. TELL ME, DARLING: WHERE DO WE BEGIIIIIN?"

"THAT'S IT! WHO THE HELL'S DOING THAT?" Ms. Robertson shouted, her head snapping up from the overhead to stare them all down.

They all blinked innocently, and Devonte pointed towards the wall to their far left. "I think it was next door. Whoever they were, they have serious opera talent."

The room erupted into snickering at the look on Ms. Robertson's face, and Kiera bit her lip to keep from laughing uncontrollably.

Sora looked at Kiera, glancing at the now HUGE dot on his arm. She nodded with a grin, and he promptly spazzed out.

He shot straight up out of his chair, grasping at his arm frantically. "It's spreading...IT'S SPREADINNNNNG!" he shouted, gesturing to the dot.

Kiera's eyes widened dramatically. "Oh no! That started out as a _freckle _when he first got here! IT MUST BE SOME NEW ASIAN DISEASE! SOMEONE CALL THE CDC! QUICKLYYYYY!"

Everyone was flat-out laughing uncontrollably at this point as she and Sora then freaked out after hearing a police siren outside. "Oh no, they're here. Oh my God. Shit. Shit. Shit. What do we do? Miss, you have to help us! Oh God. They must have found all those bodies! HELP!" they cried in absolutely perfect unison, their hands clasped against the sides of their faces in a Home Alone fashion.

Ms. Robertson's temple throb was then so severe that most of the people in the room (Kiera and Sora included) were momentarily frightened she'd explode. "THAT'S IT, THAT'S SO IT! I'M SENDING Y'ALL TO THE OFFICE FOR SOME SATURDAY SCHOOL AT THE LEAST!" she declared triumphantly as she pushed the button reserved for when there was something serious, like a stabbing.

Or, in this case, a defiance of authority.

"Oh yeah? YOU AND WHAT ARMY?" Sora and Kiera demanded in unison again.

"I DON'T NEED AN ARMY, BLOCKHEADS, I'VE GOT A SPECIAL BUTTON JUST FOR THIS!" she shouted back, pressing the Call Office button on the wall triumphantly.

Sora looked at Kiera.

Kiera looked at Sora.

"Should I, Sora?"

"Most definitely."

"There's a lot of witnesses."

"And the chances of you seeing them again?"

"Slim to null."

"Then go for it."

They shrugged and exchanged a grin. Kiera looked to her classmates and bowed dramatically. "I bid ye all farewell! And as for YOU!" she declared, pointing at Ms. Robertson.

"_This _is the day you will always remember as the day you ALMOST caught Kiera Reilly Sage!" she declared before grabbing Sora's arm and teleporting them out of there, books and all.

* * *

They ended up teleporting on their asses on the other side of the school, their books and things falling in random places (one of which landed on Kiera's lap; PROGRESS). They fistbumped and laughed uncontrollably for the next three minutes as Kiera summoned their stuff to her house. Sora put his shoes back on (she'd summoned him a normal pair and demanded he put them on in order to blend in a little better), and they headed for the main exit of her high school.

This involved going down three flights of stairs, and on the second flight, Kiera was caught rather off-guard.

Her shoulder started to burn.

Sora's face fell almost instantly as she clutched her shoulder and looked around. "Please don't tell me..." he commented, trailing off.

Kiera scowled as she heard footsteps, knowing exactly whose they were. "Fine, I'll stay quiet."

"Since when do _you _sta-"

"Oh, that's right. I think I remember Demyx mentioning something about your shoulder burning thanks to us," Axel commented as he came into view, turning the corner onto their hallway.

Kiera glanced at the clock anxiously. They only had about three minutes until the bell rang for their next class. And then it would be QUITE obvious that Axel didn't exactly belong there.

"Why the hell're you here and what the hell do you want? And it'd be in _all _our best interests if you were quick about it," Kiera growled, obviously in a foul mood.

Axel chuckled. "I came to warn you, but if you're gonna be _that _way..."

"Warn us about what?"

"Well, two things. Her, and her father," Axel replied to Sora's question, jabbing an accusing finger towards Kiera.

Sora looked at him as if he were insane. "Your trick's not gonna work on me!" He looked to Kiera for some sort of assurance, and she averted her gaze to the floor as her face grew hot.

Talk about being put on the spot.

Axel chuckled. "You were saying? Kiera, you're lookin' kind of guilty over there. What gives? Haven't you told him?"

"Told me what?"

"It's nothing," she said quickly, shaking her head.

That seemed to amuse Axel even more. "Ha! You could at least _try _to be convincing! Although..." he said suddenly, tilting his head this way and that as he stared at her. He smirked. "Looks like you can't exactly decide what you're gonna do. Am I right? Well, in that case, I guess I should warn you too."

He pointed his finger at her again, making her temple throb rather majorly. "He's not gonna like being kept waiting much longer. Guess you both have that in common; can't wait for anything. He's getting more and more pissed at you, Kiera, the longer you drag this out. You better act fast and get him off your back. He's a scientist, after all. Excels in the study of genetics. And he's got a little failsafe in case you decide to refuse his demand."

As Sora continued to look hopelessly confused, Kiera frowned. "Wait...You're part of the Organization, right? How come you don't want me to do what my dad wants?"

Axel chuckled. "Isn't it obvious?" He paused, his face falling a little. "...And Kiera? If you want him to stop tormenting you, you're gonna have to face him yourself. You can't spill your own blood to solve your problems this time around. Face-to-face in the Realm of Darkness; got it memorized?"

Kiera's face grew even hotter, her teeth clenching. "_What _was that? About spilling my own –..."

He nodded as she trailed off. "Yeah. I had a feeling you wouldn't want me to elaborate. We all know you're not as stupid as you look. ...Face-to-face. It's all you can do to solve it this time."

And with that, he went through a dark mass thingie and was gone. Right as the bell rang. "...Okay, I gotta admit, that _was _pretty good timing," Sora commented as kids filtered around them.

Kiera sighed, grabbed his arm, and teleported them to the car, not worried a bit about regular people seeing them vanish in thin air.

* * *

Once in the car, Kiera started it rather violently, her grip on the gear shift so tight her knuckles were bright white.

"Why is it that all Organization members just LOOOOVE to piss me off, and then leave with some cryptic Chinese-fortune-cookie...BULLSHIT?" Kiera demanded to know, flooring the gas as she left the school parking lot and headed home.

Sora was currently trying to put his seatbelt on while her reckless driving made him ram into various parts of the front half of the car.

He didn't finally succeed until they were thirty seconds away from her house, making his temple throb as she pulled into her driveway and hit the brake, making them both lurch forward a little.

His temple throbbed even more as she got out of the car and somehow managed to whack him in the face with her bag. "Dammit, Kiera!"

That was the first thing he'd said the whole time, not daring to say much else for fear of getting the living crap beat out of him.

She leaned her back against the car, breathing a little heavy. She was trying as hard as possible not to let her blind rage kick in, and damn, was it hard.

She had never told anybody about that. Not a soul. Not even _Morgan_ knew about that. "...Sorry," she muttered in Sora's general direction, blinking quickly before looking up from the ground. She turned towards him, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets and smiling at him.

"Sooo? Your take on high school?"

"Why'd you say it sucked? That was _awesome_!" he replied, almost immediately forgetting about not only her anger, but his as well.

"It was only awesome because _you_ were there, we had that _list_, and I have awesomesauce _powers_ now. If not for that, you would've gotten the full SUCKISH experience."

They went back and forth about it as they went inside, then a little longer after realizing her mom, Donald, and Goofy were passed out on the floor mid-card-game.

Eventually, though, they went off to do different things. While Sora did God-only-KNOWS-what, Kiera went up the stairs to her room.

She headed straight for her bathroom, and spent at least fifteen minutes just standing in the doorway and staring at her bathtub.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, Kiera went over to the rim of the tub and picked up the shaving razor that was laying there.

Sliding to the floor, she brought her knees to her chest and looked down at the lime green razor, turning it over and over in her grip.

"Spilling your own blood," she muttered to herself. He'd said it out loud, and thank GOD Sora hadn't put two and two together.

Then she'd never hear the end of it.

Of course, that little thought of happiness was snuffed right out when Sora made her jump about a foot in the air after saying way too loudly, "What're you doing sitting in the bathroom and staring at a razor?"

"JEEZ!" she screeched, rubbing her ass and the back of her head where they'd rammed against the tile wall. "Moron, quit _scaring _me like that!"

"That doesn't answer my question," he said matter-of-factly, moving further into the room.

She glared up at him in response, and he sweatdropped. "Well, that _definitely_ doesn't answer my question."

Kiera felt like strangling him once the tinglies returned. "Dammit, Sora, why do you have to always show up when I'm upset over something?" she wondered angrily.

"Honestly? ...I'm not sure. It's almost like instinct. I just kinda get this little nagging feeling in the back of my head that something's wrong, and sometimes...When it's REALLY bad, I even hear this voice saying 'You moron, go find her!'. ...It's really weird."

She sighed yet again, looking back down at the shaving razor. "...Well...Guess there's no point in not telling you, 'cause you'll just keep asking, am I right?"

"Spot on."

"So I should tell you, then."

"You should."

"...But I don't wanna."

"Why?"

"'Cause I don't like talking about it. As in, I've never told anybody. Ever. Not even Morgan. Which is huge, since I tell her everything."

_Except for recently, since I basically have no contact with my old life anymore. Thanks, Sora. _She wasn't entirely sure why this was all his fault, but she had recently decided it was. Everything causing her pain seemed to come right back to him, with the exception of her dad.

Just like everything causing Sora pain traced back to Kairi. _Funny the way it is..._

Sora didn't say anything as she had a mental argument with herself before ultimately losing, and with a sigh of defeat, she started with a question.

"Have you ever been hurting so bad...that you'll try anything to ease it?"

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

"There's only so many ways one can read into that sentence," she snapped, but continued anyway. "See, after the car accident...back before my momma was on Constant Drunkie Mode? Things were even harder. Dad's relatives had given her a hard time, scoldin' her about letting me drive that day and whatnot. At his funeral, no less. Could you imagine? Like it wasn't bad enough none of us could really say goodbye to 'im, they had to make things worse," she said heatedly, her accent thickening full-force as her words came out in a rush.

After a second to take a breath, she shook her head. "...I did my best to help her, and she tried her best to help me. But we were both hurting so bad after all that had happened in such a damn short time, you know? And she had one way of making the pain less, and...I had another," she explained thoughtfully.

It was sounding a lot more dramatic than she intended, but she had no other way of beginning her explanation.

So, naturally, Sora was more than a little confused. "Well then...what was your way?"

She held up the razor, and he sweatdropped. "...You shaved?"

Her temple throbbed. "NO, YOU IDIOT!" Kiera cut herself off, taking yet another deep breath before continuing. She felt so nervous at the moment, it wasn't even funny.

"...You shave from time to time, don't you?"

"Sure."

"Have you ever cut yourself shaving?"

"Not recently. Why?"

She let her gaze drop back down to the razor almost immediately once he looked at her quizzically. Which, of course, made him even more curious. "...Well, see, I was shaving this one time, but I was really upset. I pressed down too hard when I almost lost my balance on one foot, and cut myself kinda deep. And, for some reason, it felt...really...good. It sounds weird, I know, but it did. And all it did was scab over. So I did it again the next night, and it felt just as good, maybe better."

She paused, thinking back on it. "...And so that way, I didn't have to cut very deep, and I could be telling the truth when people asked me what I did. All I did was cut myself shaving. ...Y'know, now that I think about it, maybe the reason it felt so good was because..._I_ was the one causing myself that little bit of pain. So it felt like _I_ was in control, instead of being hurt by someone who wasn't even there. 'Cause, let's face it, it sucks to keep being hurt by someone you don't even have the pleasure of punching in the face afterward. ...Eventually I stopped, though. There was this kid at my school who died after cutting his arm too deep, and I didn't want to end up like that. It was hard, and it took a helluva long time, but I stopped. ...So that's what Axel meant. About spilling my own blood. In other words, I can't run away from my problems with my dad anymore. ...Which sucks. Majorly. More than high school before you were there. ...Actually, it sucks more than a _slut_. Which is very hard to imagine. And it also stinks. It reeks. Like rotten eggs. Or certain cheeses."

She had rambled at the end there, so she made herself shut up and settled with continuing to look at the razor and floor simultaneously.

Kiera didn't jump like she normally would have once Sora crouched down to her level and pried the razor out of her hand. "I'm not considering doing it again, if that's what you're worried about," she informed him.

"I know," he replied, tossing the razor behind him. She smirked as it hit the side of her trash can, the sudden noise making Sora jump.

"So. _That's_ what he meant, huh?" he asked, plopping down on his ass rather ungracefully.

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"If I recall correctly."

"You recall correctly."

"Why'd you tell me that? You know I never would've asked about that, right?"

Kiera shrugged. "The tinglies told me to. Besides, I'm your Gatekeeper. I know all kinds of stuff about the stupid crap YOU'VE done before I met you from that 'story' you told me, it's only fair you know something about before you met me too, right?"

"True."

She watched his eyes linger on her jeans, then rolled her eyes. "If you're trying to figure out why you didn't see scars before, that's because I don't have any. Although, I _have_ been able to feel where each cut is."

"...Oh. Okay."

She rolled her eyes again as he continued to glance at her legs in the tense silence that followed. "...If you wanna feel, all you have to do is ask."

"I don't wanna sound weird –"

She cut off his protest by unbuttoning her jeans and sliding her right leg out of the pants leg. "THERE," she declared, laying her leg out and balancing the heel of her foot against the ground so her leg was sort of hovering.

Sora sweatdropped. "You're sure not shy about it, are you?"

"Since when've I been shy about _anything_?"

"That's true."

So technically, she could've just rolled up her jeans and he'd have no problem finding a few of them. But she had done the whole Jeans Maneuver in the hopes it would make him all flustered. That would mean she had a temporary upper hand.

Kiera wasn't expecting a huge wave of nervousness to hit her as he stretched out a hand. In the less than thirty seconds that passed before he touched her ankle, she had plenty of time to mentally spazz out.

Her scalp prickled. Not anything like when danger was near, no, this was a...hot kind of prickling. Then he was lightly touching her ankle, feeling the skin on and around it like a blind person on braile.

_And, ironically-yet-fortunately, I shaved this morning,_ she thought suddenly with a slightly cheerful mental tone. Kiera knew when he'd found one of the four on her ankle by the way his fingertips suddenly stopped and did some sort of double-take.

Or double-feel, in this case.

Plus, she'd memorized where all of them were in the first place. Once he'd found all four, she crossed her arms as he continued to search her ankle. "There's only four down there. Don't worry, there's plenty more," she said dully.

He didn't say anything, but traveled a little further up. Which unnerved her; it wasn't natural for him to shut up and listen to her all at the same time like that.

Kiera counted in her head with each new little groove or etching in her skin that he found, and decided as the number continued to grow that she was rather comfortable. She let her head prop itself against the tiled wall, and bent the leg still inside her jeans at the knee.

Her arms were still crossed, and she slowly let her drooping eyelids shut. It was a long time before she heard a noise.

"Twenty-eight," he declared. Kiera blinked her eyes open, rubbing one of them agitatedly. "Technically speaking, there's thirty-four. I have some on my thigh, too, but I think you've gotten the picture," she muttered as she slipped her leg back into her jeans, buttoning them at the top.

"Kiera?"

"Hm?"

"Some of those felt pretty deep. Like they really hurt," he said carefully.

She shrugged. "That was kinda the point. It felt good at the time."

"Kiera."

"What?" she asked, sighing with annoyance. He was sounding all concerned. Stupid Sora, she'd _never _seen a case where he had managed to let someone sort out their own problems. He cared too much about people, even people he didn't really know that well.

And, surprisingly, it looked like she wasn't an exception. Of course, she'd known that for quite a while. It was kind of obvious, what with how many times he'd kept her in check or looked out for her in a tough spot.

"That's what friends are for," he always insisted. As if to prove her point, his brows furrowed with concern. "You're sure you won't want to do it ever again?"

Kiera rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not. But for the moment and the near future, I think I'm fine."

"That's not good enough," he insisted, making Kiera's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh, it isn't? Well, sucks for you then, doesn't it? See, this is why I haven't told anyone. I figured they'd react like you. Worried I'd try to off myself or at least start right back up as soon as their backs are turned."

"I just don't want you to feel like you have to do something like that to feel better," he replied patiently.

Patient. That was a new one for him, too. With her, anyways. It made Kiera even more nervous. For some reason, this whole thing made her think of those episodes in random crime shows or sitcoms where some random person was out on a ledge and a good samaritan talked to them through the window or from down below, and of course they listened, and they all lived happily ever after until the next mid-life-crisis or murder.

Another thing Kiera had never gotten; why do people listen to complete strangers who know absolutely nothing about what they're going through?

Whatever.

_You should really stop zoning out and thinking about random crap,_ Kiera scolded to herself.

Instead of mentioning all this out loud, Kiera just rolled her eyes at him with a slight smile. "Sora, I'll tell you what. I solemnly swear that until someone majorly close to me dies, betrays me, or something else unimaginable happens to them, the only time I will cut myself shaving is accidentally. Which actually doesn't happen very often. I've been really careful since that kid died. Giving into temptation and all that."

He stared at her for a few seconds longer before nodding cheerfully and hopping to his feet. "Good enough for me," he commented as he grabbed her hands and pulled her up. She staggered slightly, and his grip tightened.

Kiera was about to say something smart, but then Sora kissed her cheek suddenly. She blinked at him, totally forgetting what the hell she had been about to say.

"Esa fina línea de suyo es mucho mejor que usted cree, y'saber," he said simply. **_["That fine line of yours is a lot finer than you think, y'know."]_**

Now she was flat-out gaping at him, jaw on the floor. "W-Whaaat? How did you..."

She trailed off as he pulled folded paper out of his pocket. It was a ton of sheets of paper, actually, stapled together in the top left corner. On the front was printed "Webster's English-To-Spanish-To-English Dictionary". "Your Spanish teacher gave it to me, it's got pronunciations and everything. I'm pretty good at this whole translating thing. Get the main, long words, and you can figure out the rest of what you Spanish-speaking folks are saying," he explained.

"So...You..."

"Heard every word? Yeah, pretty much. Hey, if you see Morgan before I do, tell her I appreciate all the compliments," he said in that smug "I-SO-Won" tone of his as he simply strolled out of the bathroom, leaving her glaring at him.

She stuck her tongue out at his back. "I saw that."

So she flipped him a rather lude finger gesture, to which he started laughing. "Saw that too, Kiera."

Her temple throbbed majorly. "Now how come you never see what I _want _you to see with that peripheral super-duper vision of yours? HUH?"


	39. Welcome Back to the Jungle!

****

**Me: Back again!**

**Kiera: And I'm guessing y'all just KNEW we were back, too.**

**Sora: ...Yeah. It's great. **

**Kiera: (Snickers) Chyeah, I call this "Let's-Bash-Sora-Time!"**

**Me: (Eyeroll) Whatever, you two. We've got some more gifts from awesome reviewers! This is from Yuki. (Pulls out note) Ahem. "Kiera: I give you Kushina Uzumaki's frying pan. ^^" **

**Me Again: (Pauses in note-reading to toss Kiera the aforementioned pan) Here ya go!**

**Kiera: (Sweatdrops) I could just summon MYSELF a frying pan...**

**Me: Oh-ho-ho, but this has the blood of countless ninjas's foreheads on it! Oh, there's more on the note. Aaaa-HEM: "If you want to know why it's so special, then you should see the list of all the people that are afraid of it. *struggles with the half-ton scroll*" **

**Kiera: Oh, bad-ASS! It's got its own LIST! (Does practice swings with the air)**

**Sora: (Dives behind a chair) PLEASE HURRY UP, MANDY, BEFORE SHE IMPROVES HER ALREADY-SCARILY-ACCURATE AIM.**

**Me: Sure thing. The next one's from Chimichar, a GIANT BROWNIE!**

**Kiera and Sora: (Jaws drop) IT'S FRIGGING HUGE!**

**Kiera: (Carefully sets down frying pan on random purple cushion, licking her lips) That looks so yummy...**

**Me: NOT YET! (Whacks their hands with a ruler as they try to grab pieces of it)**

**Kiera and Sora: Awww MAN!**

**Me: Rest of the gifts first. DEAL WITH IT. Aaaaaaaaa...HEM. Next ones are from Crazy Ninja Lover!**

**Sora: (Narrows eyes) ...CRUMB GIRL.**

**Kiera: Ahhh, I love ninjas too!**

**Me: (Eyeroll)Well, along with my Awesomesauce Award, she gives y'all these:**

**"kiera im gona give u a totaly mental hug! *hugs!* and sora i feal bad about giving u JUST a crum of a muffen... So... Walla, HALF A MUFFEN! *huge grin* i "acadently" ate half of it because i got hungry typing this... But its cookie's and creem!**

Lovesh

Crazy ninja lover."

**Sora: ...This is progress. Can I eat my half a muffin now?**

**Me: Sure.**

**Sora: YES! (Practically swallows it whole)**

**Kiera: (Sweatdrop) You look like me eating hot wings...!**

**Me: (Sweatdrop) How do you - ...nevermind, just...Nevermind. MOVING ON! Next ones are from Morcelink. Oh, and by the way, Kiera, why DID Ichigo eat your cookies? I thought he loved cake...**

**Kiera: (Shrugs) Hell if I know. Personally? I think he did it just to screw with me. ...Then again...It WAS a cookie cake cut into cookie-shaped bites...**

**Me: (Texas-sized sweatdrop) ...Well, that certainly clears some things up. Erm, anyway. From Morcelink, both you AND Sora get a PS2 that includes Kingdom Hearts, KH2, and KH Re: chain of memories. You also get high fives for the stunts you pulled at school...and 5 points go to Kiera for using that special list. I, teh authoress, get 30 points for MAKING the list. AND I get a blue ribbon...it came with a package(the ribbon is taped on the envelope) that says: From Ichigo, Kon, Rukia, Dracomon, Me, and Sora. And, according to this note, there's a couple of cakes in my private cake stash for everyone. Cool!**

**Sora: Kingdom Hearts? On a PS2? COOL! ...Wait, what's a PS2? And is THAT how we find Kingdom Hearts?**

**Kiera: No, dumbass, a PS2 is a GAME SYSTEM. It can't possibly be THE Kingdom Hearts.**

**Sora: Then...what is it?**

**Kiera: No clue.**

**Sora: ...We should play it and find out after we complete our quest and whatnot.**

**Kiera: Definitely! ^^**

**Me: But...if you...if you play it NOW, you'll... (Sighs and facepalms) Ugh, nevermind. ON WITH THE GIFTS. flowergirl5345 sends us a note:**

****

"... Either my eyes are deceiving me or you two have just pulled off one of the greatest pranks ever! I have so much respect for you two now.

Sora, I'm not trying to kill you. Actually, your one of my favorite characters in this story.(With Kiera being first)

Annnndddd I have you know that I finally remembered why I put the Chemical X in the gum. You see, after going to 459,755 different worlds(And being banned in Disney Town and Pluto, which I still consider to be a planet so ) I finally created a way to make you immnune to Kiera's powers!(See,i'm not a bad person)

But! It is only good for 1 month only so you better use it wisely.

And sense you didn't makke a TOTAL fool out of yourself, I'll keep my promise and give you a brand new motorcycle! And to Kiera and the authoress, I give you free tickets to a spa day, 'cause frankly you two deserve a break.

Well, it's time for me to go buuuttt before I do...

(pulls out three shiny trophies)"

Kiera and Sora: (dive for the trophies) MINE!

Me: ...Um...Sure, guys. Go right ahead. Not like I wanted first pick or anything.

Kiera: Good, 'cause you don't get first pick.

Me: I noticed. ANYWAY. Next gifts're from...Oh, wait, that's it. OKAY, COOL! ON WITH THE STORY! So, um...thanks for EVERYONE who reviewed, not just those who have gifts. Also, I'd like to thank AKAAkira, because their reviews are so constructive and it really helped in developing Kiera's character even more. So thanks. ^^ Aaaaand, um...read...review...REVIEWWWW...

Kiera and Sora: (Pigging out on giant brownie) ENJOOOOY!

**

* * *

**

Sora left Kiera alone after the whole bathroom incident. He figured she'd appreciate it. ...Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't still worried.

It's not that he didn't trust her, or believe her when she said she wasn't going to cut herself shaving again. It was her "promise" that bugged him.

_What was that she said again? Wasn't it...'as long as someone close to me doesn't die, betray me, or something else equally dire.' ...Or something like that._

He didn't like the sound of that. She had said it like she was _counting _on it to happen. But he had also noticed that when he had urged her to promise, she had seemed...sort of...disappointed in him. So he didn't press the subject any more.

Actually, now that Sora thought about it, what Axel had said was even weirder. He had mentioned the same thing Kiera had; something bad she was going to have to do, and her father was pressuring her to do it.

But what was _so bad _that she could tell him something as personal as what she'd told him in the bathroom, but not this other thing?

"I just hope she doesn't have to kill somebody. ...And if she _doesn't_ have to kill somebody, it looks like she's under so much stress that she just might kill someone by the time this is over," he muttered to himself.

Sora had been staring blankly in Kiera's "pantry" (_her and her terms, I'll never understand them_) while thinking all of that, and he shook his head and shut it. He was hungry, but there hadn't really been anything in there anyway.

How Kiera's mom was still alive with nothing but beer in the house, he had no idea whatsoever. He looked in the fridge and saw the beer cans, two slices of Kraft cheese, spoiled milk (he could see the lumps with just a passing glance), and a single pickle left in a pickle jar.

It made him kind of feel bad for Kiera; he had a feeling it had looked just like this, if not worse, while she was here doing the best she could.

Just looking at how _empty _this kitchen was made him depressed. And then, going up the stairs to her room earlier, he had noticed the pictures, and seeing them happy like that just made him even more depressed. No _wonder _she started cutting, he would've been eventually depressed enough to do that too if he had to pass by those every day.

Now that he thought about those pictures, she looked more like her dad than he'd thought, but when she was angry, she _definitely _looked a lot more like her mom.

Which probably sounded like a bad thing, but it wasn't. Not really. Though he'd never – repeat, _never _– tell her or anyone else, ...she looked kind of cute when she was angry.

Except for her Blind Rage moments. Then she was just plain badass and scary.

"Hiya, Sora," Goofy said suddenly, making him jump with a yell and nearly rip the fridge's door off its handle. "...Jeez, I'm stronger than I thought," he muttered with a sweatdrop after shutting the loosened door.

"Whatchya doin'?"

"Looking for food. I thought you guys were asleep."

"I was, but then I got a message from Chip and Dale from the ship. They say it's ready to go!" he announced cheerfully. He then cocked an eyebrow. "...Couldn't chya just ask Kiera to summon ya some food? I'm sure if you asked nicely, she would."

"I don't think she wants me bothering her right now," he muttered. He noticed he was doing a lot of muttering lately.

Goofy nodded slowly. "Ohhh. Didya get in another fight?"

"No. That's what scares me," he replied, making Goofy sweatdrop before chuckling. "I wish for Kiera's sake I could argue with that one, but..."

"But what?" Kiera asked with a yawn from the doorway, making Sora and Goofy jump with shouts of surprise.

"KIERA!" they shouted in unison, making her jump.

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" she shouted defensively.

"NEITHER DID WE!"

"...What did _you _do?" she asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Nothing," they said quickly, and Goofy laughed nervously while Sora pointed at her accusingly. "What's that behind your back?"

"...Nothing," she said quickly, making whatever it was disappear. _Damn her and her Gatekeeper skills._

"...It looked kind of like a – WAS THAT A PIECE OF MY CAKE?" he demanded to know.

"...Noooo..."

"Kier-aaaa!"

Goofy and Donald, who had just woken up and came to see what all the commotion was, watched with sweatdrops as Sora promptly chased her around the house while she giggled like crazy and kept teleporting to another room as soon as he touched her.

"...Kids these days, huh, Goofy?"

"Got that right, Donald."

* * *

**_LATER__..._**

Three hyenas were the first to greet them in the Pridelands, running towards them as the four heroes headed towards Pride Rock. "Oh, it's you guys. Man, we were hoping you were a meal!" the hyenas whined.

"Hiya!" Sora said, waving a paw and making Kiera sweatdrop.

"Don't gimme any of that 'hiya' stuff!" the hyena with three short stubby things for hair snapped with a temple throb. "Thanks to you clowns, we're back to scavenging scraps for a living."

The other male hyena started laughing somewhat maniacally, and the female hyena turned away. "C'mon, it's not that bad. I enjoyed that week-dead elephant we had yesterday."

"Hey, how's Simba?" Sora asked them. The female laughed, and the male commented, "We _gotta_ laugh every time we hear that dude's name."

"Ooh. Say it again!" the female said with a shiver.

"Simmm-ba!" the same male sneered.

The female started laughing. "Hahahahaha! One more time."

"Simba!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

"Simmmm-baaaa!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Kiera tried not to laugh as they started practically rolling with laughter. "That's enough!" Sora snapped, making her jump.

"Go on then, see for yourself. Simba is one wishy-washy king," the female said as they walked off.

"Yeah, I bet about now, even some of those high and mighty lionesses were wishin' they'd gotten themselves a different king!" the male added.

"Gawrsh, whaddaya think coulda happened?" Goofy asked.

"Well, let's go find Simba and see," Sora replied. They followed him, and a few minutes later, Kiera noticed some black things shooting around. "Look!" she exclaimed, pointing her paw at them.

They soon formed a dark mass, and Scar appeared in front of them. "Scar!" Sora shouted, bounding towards him. But then he disappeared, just like that. "Huuuh?" Kiera and Sora wondered.

"...A ghost?" Donald suggested.

"We better tell Simba about this," Goofy commented.

Kiera shivered all over, her back arching. "Ughhh, I don't have a good feeling about this."

"So I noticed," Sora commented. Due to the tone and that weird expression on his face, her temple throbbed majorly.

"PERVERT, STOP WATCHING ME ALL THE TIME! SIT!"

**_THUD._**

"...OH, C'MON! THAT WAS JUST PLAIN STUPID!"

Kiera simply turned up her nose at him, made a "Humph" noise, and continued on towards Pride Rock.

"...You can get up now," she added after a few moments.

"C'mon, you guys, stop laughing!" Sora whined as Goofy and Donald continued to snicker.

* * *

**_FIVE __MINUTES __LATER__..._**

"Have you come to see Simba?" a lioness asked as they ascended Pride Rock.

"We saw Scar's ghost!" Sora replied, making Kiera sweatdrop. "I...don't think that's _exactly _what she was asking, but...whatever."

"An omen like that could only be foretelling the end of our pride. Yet King Simba won't do a thing! ...I guess just being the son of the Great King Mufasa doesn't necessarily mean he's ready to rule the kingdom himself," she said thoughtfully.

"Trust me, Simba will think of something," Sora assured her.

"The time for thinking is past. We need him to take _action _– as his father would have done. He ruled with courage and pride. I remember it like it was yesterday...Mufasa..."

"Simba'll do all that, too. You'll see!" Sora insisted.

"I'm not so sure." And with that, the lioness walked off in the opposite direction. They all exchanged a look, and Kiera sighed. "Well? We gonna go talk to him or what?"

* * *

Simba looked up from his lounging spot as Sora lead the way inside. "You came back..." he said with a smile.

"Are you okay?" Donald asked.

"You don't look so good," Goofy added.

"Hey, Simba. Why don't we team up and do something about that Scar ghost. Seems like everybody's worried about it... So, now's your big chance to show 'em what you're really made of!" Sora suggested all innocent-like.

He stood up with a slight snarl. "That _doesn't_ concern you!" he snapped.

Kiera's temple throbbed. "Oh, and obviously it isn't a huge problem or anything, either. Jeez, touchy subject much?"

"You should probably shut up now," Sora commented.

"SIT!"

**_THUD._**

"Owww...Simba, _please_ tell me that brightened your day," Sora groaned.

"...Sorry," Simba said about his outburst.

"It's okay," Sora replied, rolling onto his back and getting up. "YOU, however," he added, pointing a paw at Kiera, "are CLINICALLY INSANE! You need help, I _swear_ you do."

"Maybe YOU'RE the one who needs help, YOU'RE the one who wanted me to come with you instead of staying back at home. _I_ wanted to stay, but NOOOO, you just _had _to be a pervert and convince me otherwise! And then, AND THEN, y'all torture me by makin' me go back! Just when I thought I was out, they PUUUULL me back in!" she ranted, pacing back and forth, her tail swishing furiously.

Simba shook his head. "You guys, stop fighting. It won't solve anything, y'know. ...I just wish I knew what my father would do," he said with a sigh.

Something told Kiera he wasn't talking about her and Sora's argument, so she shut up and focused her attention back on Simba. ...For now.

"But he's not _here_, Simba. It's all up to you now. And that means the important thing is what _you're _gonna do being the king," Goofy pointed out gently. "Not what you father woulda done."

"So you're saying...it's all up to me."

"See, there ya go!" Sora cheered at the same time Timon and Pumbaa said similar things.

"We know your dad was a great king and all. But now it's your turn," Timon added. "Remember what I taught ya: 'You gotta put the past behind ya'. It's time to go out there and show everybody things are gonna be just fine!"

"Yeah, you can do it!"

"You gotta live for today!" Timon continued.

"And find your own path!" Pumbaa added.

"Live for today...And find my own path..._not _my father's!"

"That's it!" Sora cheered.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Simba," Nala interjected as she entered the room.

"Nala!" Donald greeted. She went to Simba's side, smiling at them. "Promise me you'll help Simba any way you can."

"As long as Sora handles the dangerous parts!" Timba replied. Sora nodded, and Kiera grinned. "Sora AND KIERA will handle the dangerous parts."

Sora rolled his eyes.

"I'm counting on you, Simba...and so is our baby," Nala said sincerely, nuzzling him. Kiera's jaw dropped. "How long were we AWAY, anyways?" she wondered.

"Great, now we're gonna haveta babysit!" Timon whined, making everyone laugh.

"Let's go see Rafiki first. I'm sure he'll be able to tell us something about that ghost," Siba said after a few moments.

And so they were off.

* * *

**_SEVEN __MINUTES __LATER__..._**

"Oh ho ho! The king – he is ready to be king?" Rafiki asked as they walked inside his tree hollow.

"I think so."

"Can you tell us about Scar's ghost?" Sora asked.

"Oh, yes...the ghost. A being with no body, it is created when the evil heart of Scar meets the hesitating heart of Simba."

"Hesitating?" Simba repeated.

"Ohhh...you thought you were not?" Rafiki inquired.

"Gawrsh, that ghost sounds just like a Heartless," Goofy mused.

"Hmmm, I don't know," Sora replied.

"You're right. You don't. But you _do _know it is upsetting. And it is upsetting the hearts of everybody in the Pride Lands. You may not know what it is, but it still IS. This world, it is full of many strange things. And these things, a king must face. It is the test that has been set for you, Simba."

"...That's it? You have to tell us more about the ghost..." Simba insisted.

"No, not today!" Rafiki said simply. "But the hyenas in the elephant graveyard might know more. Does not matter, though. There is little the Simba of late can do."

"Aw, don't say that! Not when he's ready to try!" Sora protested.

"In his head, perhaps...but what about his heart?"

Simba turned towards them. "Forget it, Sora. Let's head for the elephant graveyard."

As they left the hollow tree, Kiera looked at Sora. "...He's not gonna screw this up...is he?" she asked worriedly.

"Of course not!" he said with a grin. Satsified, she followed everyone else. "I mean, he's not _you_, so already he's got good odds," he added with a smirk. She turned to look at him, temple throbbing. "Did you _really _just go there?"

"Oh yeah. I went there."

"Why you LITTLE-"

"Oh, whatchya gonna do, SIT me? That's your answer for EVERYTHING I do!" he replied smugly. "You know what, I think I'll sit MYSELF."

And with that, he plopped down on his ass. The others were watching by now; Simba had started to say something about hurrying up, but now he looked interested.

Kiera was giving him a deadly glare, and he was just sitting there smiling all smug-like. "Are you _challenging _me?" she asked in a tone _more_ deadly than her glare, which the others had thought impossible.

"You bet I am."

"Sora, I'm warning you-"

"I can take you no problem," he insisted, making her stop mid-sentence to stare at him skeptically. "Oh really?"

"Yep. Hit me with your _beeeest _shot."

Kiera shrugged, circling him. "Okay. If you insist." And without further warning, she jumped him with a rather ferocious growl, tackling him to the ground.

Simba and the others watched with winces on Sora's behalf as she promptly kicked his ass. "...So...They fight like this a lot, right?"

"Never _this _bad," Goofy replied.

"Although she _has _given him a black eye a couple timies," Donald added.

Simba chuckled and shook his head. "_That _sure looks familiar," he commented as Kiera flipped Sora off her before pinning him to the ground with a huge, triumphant grin on her face.

"Another win for me! Go ahead, challenge me some more, we've got _aaaallll _day," she continued to gloat, making Sora's temple throb more and more.

It was around the time she started doing her Victory Dance that Sora let out a growl of his own and pounced on her.

"You guys, we HAVEN'T got all day for this!" Donald said with an exasperated quack. The two paused their fight to look at the others innocently. "...Oh. Right."

"Jeez, Sora, get off me," she grumbled. He rolled his eyes and did so as she retracted her claws and rolled off her back to stand again.

"Yeah, 'cause it's all MY fault."

"Actually, Sora, it is," Simba replied simply. "_You _challenged _her_, remember?"

Kiera stuck her tongue out at him, and he growled in response. "Awww, someone's a bit on the gwuuuumpy side!"

"Shut up. Just shut up!"

_

* * *

_

**_TWENTY-SEVEN_****_MINUTES __LATER__..._**

They slowly walked through the elephant graveyard, Sora's and Kiera's eyes wide. "Whoaaa!"

"Hey!" Donald quacked, referring to the three hyenas from before.

"Aw, c'mon, can't you guys just leave us alone?" the apparent leading male whined.

"Do you three know anything about Scar's ghost?" Simba asked, and Kiera noticed he was standing a little straighter. _With authority, _she mused with a slight smile.

"Huh? Scar's ghost?" the female repeated. The other male started laughing, as per usual.

"Maaaaybe," the lead male sneered before running off.

"You DO know!" Sora accused as the other two ran off as well. Kiera sighed and summoned her trusty aluminum bat. "Here we go again."

* * *

**_FIFTEEN __MINUTES __LATER__..._**

The three hyenas stood cowering in a corner. Well, not _really _cowering. They looked _way _too smug for Kiera's liking. "Oh nooo, you got us all in a corner!" the leading male, Banzai, sneered.

"What're we gonna do?" Shenzi asked, her voice laced with mock concern.

Ed just laughed.

"Tell us about Scar's ghost!" Simba insisted.

"Sorrryyyy, we don't know nothin'!"

"Ooh, wait! It's coming back to me! That's the one that only hangs out around fraidy cats. Right, Banzai?" Shenzi sneered.

"Enough!"

Suddenly, there was a weird whooshing noise behind them. Kiera and the others whirled around to see Scar there.

"And there it is!"

"Must be a fraidy cat around here somewhere!"

"Simba, do something!" Sora urged.

"How does it feel to be king, hmm?" Scar asked as Simba backed away. "Why, you must be a _truly _inspiring ruler by now. After all, you ARE the son of the Great Mufasa."

And just like that, Simba ran off. "Where're you going?" Sora called after him, but he just kept running. "Ahhh, Simba. Running as always."

"Simba!"

Scar vanished, and the hyenas laughed hysterically as they walked off as well. "Gawrsh, Rafiki was right!"

"You mean, Simba's still unsure?" Sora clarified.

"Y'know, Sora, I'm thinking that's a huge 'YES'," Kiera replied dully.

"Do ya think there's some way WE can help?" Goofy asked.

"Hmm...We should start by talking to Simba some more," Sora suggested. "Let's head back to the Pride Lands."

* * *

**_LATER__..._**

Rafiki and Nala were waiting for them in front of the side of Pride Rock. "Where's Simba?" Nala asked.

"Well, uh..." Sora started, looking to Kiera. She glared at him. "Oh, yeah RIGHT. This one's _all you_, Key Boy."

"Oh ho ho! He ran away!" Rafiki exclaimed.

Kiera sweatdropped. "Um, I didn't know we were taking guesses, but...correct, sir!"

"I knew it would be hard for him," he commented. "To face his fears, he must go somewhere where the only thing to think of is what to do, not what others think of him."

"Why didn't you just _say_ so?" Sora wondered, making Kiera snort a laugh for whatever reason.

"But where's Simba now?" Donald asked.

"Hey, I know! He's at the oasis! It's our favorite hangout," Timon said suddenly. Kiera jumped, having been standing beside him and not seeing him. "Holy crap, don't pop up outta nowhere like that!"

"...I've been here this whole time," he commented with a sweatdrop. He looked out from behind her paw to look at Sora. "Not very bright, this one." Sora grinned at her smugly, but then Timon followed that up with, "It's no wonder you two're boyfriend and girlfriend – just another thing you have in common!"

Sora's temple throbbed, and Kiera stuck her tongue out at him. "NEH."

"ANYWAY. Let's go check out this oasis thing!" Sora suggested.

"I'll lead the way!" Pumbaa offered, but Timon shook his head. "Oh no, you won't! Simba'll smell you coming from a mile away. And if he's smart, he'll run for the hills!"

"Oh...right," Pumbaa said thoughtfully, making Kiera sweatdrop.

* * *

**_AN __HOUR __OR __SO __LATER__..._**

They finally arrived at the oasis to find Scar's ghost about to drive Simba off a ledge. "Simba!" Sora called out, and they ran towards him.

As usual, Scar disappeared. Simba hung his head. "It's no use. I'll never be the king my father was."

"But Simba...That's not what you're _supposed _to be. You can't be Mufasa. You can only be you. Everybody believes in you as a king, they're just waiting to see what you'll do. Anyone who says they liked your father better, it's because you haven't done much yet. That's all," Sora assured him.

"I know that."

"Then stop moping and DO something."

"I _can't_!" Simba insisted. Kiera's temper flared up in a heartbeat. "Why you-" Sora covered her mouth with his paw, making her whine. "Fine," he said simply.

"Let's go, Sora," Donald added.

"Yeah. Why stick around if he's not even gonna try?" Sora commented, dragging Kiera by her tail. "What the hell're y'all _doing_?" she hissed.

"Just go with it," he hissed back, though it was muffled since her tail was currently in his mouth.

"C'mon, Goofy," Sora snapped, and Goofy reluctantly followed them.

"Just. WATCH," Sora whispered, pinning her to the ground. She glared up at him in response. _This better be good._

The Scar ghost came back, but this time, Sora made his voice all deep and weird. "The hesitant king will one day lose all his friends," he bellowed.

Kiera covered her mouth with her paws to keep from laughing hysterically, especially when Donald chimed in while using his "Ghostly Voice".

"King Simba the doubtfuuuulll!"

"Worrieeed by a silly ol' gho-o-o-ooost!" Goofy bellowed next, and that got Kiera losing her breath from lack of oxygen.

"Oooh, Simba, the do-nothing king!" Sora continued, putting more weight on Kiera as she started rolling around, not wanting her to make the bushes rustle.

"No!" Simba shouted.

"Try and stop me!" Donald bellowed.

Simba let out a roar and pounced on Scar's ghost, making it disappear. Donald and Goofy looked at Sora, who then looked at Kiera. "Stay here until you can stop laughing," he hissed before jumping off her and running out with the other two.

"You did it! The ghost is gone!" Sora exclaimed with surprise.

"We knew you could do it!" Donald added.

"Hooray for Simba!" Goofy chimed. _Well aren't y'all quite the actors?_ Kiera thought as she caught her breath, grinning like an idiot.

"You know, I'm really lucky to have friends who'll stand by me...and help me see clearly. My father...wasn't so fortunate."

"There you go again!"

"I _mean_...Everyone here, and in the Pride Lands, wants me to succeed. Sora, Donald, Kiera, and Goofy. Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki...and Nala. You all want what's best for me."

He paused to walk a little ways away, towards the ledge, as Kiera came out of hiding. "But my father always had Scar lurking behind his back, trying to cut him down. I've got to make the most of my blessings, and rebuild this kingdom!"

"Are ya gonna just say it, or _do _it?" Sora asked.

"Wait and see," he replied confidently.

Suddenly, Timon came running. "Simba! You gotta come quick! There's a bazillion ghosts of Scar haunting the Pride Lands! Everybody but Nala high-tailed it outta there! And now she needs your help!"

Just like that, Simba was off like the devil was at his heels. "Our little Simba...all grown up and finding his place in the world...!" Timon said with a sigh as they watched Simba go.

"Nice try. You're coming, too!" Simba shouted back to them, and with a grin, Kiera followed everyone else.

* * *

**NOT LONG LATER SINCE KIERA MADE EVERYONE HAUL ASS...**

"We're here!" Sora announced as he and Kiera skidded to a stop.

"Where's Simba?" Nala asked.

"Right here," Simba replied. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were bowing, so Kiera did the same. Which worked, since she was fricking exhausted.

Nala brightened like Kiera had Christmas morning. "I've come back, Nala," Simba assured her.

Scar turned away from Nala and Pumbaa, heading towards Simba. He got right in Simba's face, and after a few moments, Simba simply scowled at him. "Get out!"

And just like that, Scar disappeared. "Way to go, Simba!" Sora cheered. Kiera looked at him with a grin. "You could be a cheerleader, you know that?"

"...Is that good?"

"Depends. Do you like the idea of throwing girls wearing short skirts and skimpy underwear into the air and catching them with your hand on their asses half the time?"

Sora turned a little red, and Kiera giggled. "THAT's a big yes."

Suddenly, all these little shadow thingies converged into one forming mass below Pride Rock. Simba looked back at them. "You with me?"

"Always and forever, Your Majesty!" Sora replied cheerfully. Kiera groaned. "I _knew _you'd say that...!"

* * *

The converging mass formed a huge rhino-like Heartless..._thing_, and it was pure HELL to beat. Kiera ended up summoning about eighty different objects before the battle was over. Are we exaggerating? Sadly, no.

And she got healed quite a few times, too. But finally, FINALLY, Sora looked at her and nodded. "Final blow time."

She laughed maniacally before summoning a GIANT piano, crashing it on top of the enemy. "GOOD FRICKING RIDDANCE! MUAHAHAHA!" Kiera shouted before coughing and smiling pleasantly at everybody. "Well, that _sucked_. Let's agree never to fight that thing ever again."

"Agreed," everyone replied. "That thing made me dizzy trying to land a hit," Sora commented. Kiera rolled her eyes and summoned him a cookie. "Better?"

"Much!" he said cheerfully, practically swallowing the whole thing. The others laughed, and even Kiera giggled a little.

She decided not to mention the dark heart she'd seen float up from the creature.

* * *

"Simba seems fine now," Sora commented a little while later as Simba and Nala stood at the edge of Pride Rock, looking out at their kingdom.

"Ha! The king has returned! The Pride Lands will not forget King Simba's courage. Or the courage of those who fought _beside _him," he added, looking at them meaningfully.

Kiera waved him off. "Awww, shucks, it was nothin'!"

Simba turned to look at them. "Do you think your quest will _ever _be over?" he asked Sora. Kiera looked at him for a reply, wondering that herself.

"I don't know...But I think, as long as the Keyblade stays with me, I'll have to keep fighting," he said determinedly. Kiera drooped. "I was afraid you'd go all heroic on me like thaaat, now I'll _never _be able to go home...!"

"Ahh...The struggle never ends. That is the great Circle of Life," Rafiki commented wisely.

"Never ever?" Sora repeated in a slightly-whiny tone. Kiera groaned to herself. "Not unless we just slit our wrists now and call it a day! ...KIDDING, people," she added at Sora's alarmed look.

"The secret to victory..." Rafiki began, making Sora and Kiera perk up. "...is a strong heart," he concluded, pointing at his chest, then to the sky.

"Go on, go on, go – go then! Hahaha...Go on, get out! Yes, yes. It is time! Your fight continues..." he said dramatically, pointing at the sky again.

"Oh greeeeaaattt," Kiera moaned.

"Till we meet again, Your Majesty," Sora told Simba.

"I hope that's soon."

"It will be! So long!" Sora said cheerfully. Everyone nodded, and Kiera ran off with the others.

* * *

Once they were back on the ship, she started laughing. "What?" Sora asked, and she just shook her head. "Nothing major...I just forgot how funny you looked with a black eye!" she said before laughing harder. "I guess when we were fightin' as cubs earlier, I gave you another black eye!"

Sora's temple throbbed, and Goofy and Donald started snickering. "It...DOES look kinda funny, Sora," Goofy admitted.

"Does NOT!" Sora protested. Kiera summoned a mirror, shaking her head. "L...Look at yourself...THEN tell us it isn't f-funny!" she managed to get out.

He gave her a rather dirty look before taking the mirror and looking. After a few seconds of his silence, he started laughing himself. "Okay, maybe it IS pretty funny," he admitted.

Soon they were all rolling with laughter, even if it wasn't all that funny. Maybe it was all the stress and exhaustion getting to them that did it.

Whatever the case, _maaan _did they laugh, and even though it made Kiera's abs hurt like crap, she was glad Sora had been a pervert and changed her mind about staying in Memphis. ...And came to school.

She was just glad for him in general, come to think of it.


	40. Tron, Tickling, Prune Juice, & Genetics!

**Back again! **

**Kiera: And we are, too!**

**Sora: In fact, I have a feeling we'll be here a while.**

**Me: Chyeah, probably. I think y'all only got a couple presents this time, though.**

**Sora: (Shrugs) Better than nothing. UNLESS...I have an invisible present. Then I'm gonna cry.**

**Kiera: Awww, only two?**

**Sora: (Temple throb) Yeah, that means I'll have two more to add to my one present per person gifts, while you have, like, eight per person on some occasions!**

**Kiera: I can't help it I'm more adorable than you.**

**Me: Okay, okay, ANYWAY. ON WITH IT! These are from Yuki. (Tosses them their presents) For you both, trophies that read "Best In Awesomesauceness". Aaaaand...! (Wheels in two mountains of chocolate chip cookies, one for Kiera and one for Sora, plus a mountain of triple chocolate fudge brownies for me, teh authoress.)**

**Kiera and Sora: EPIC!**

**Sora: This ALMOST makes up for how many times Kiera's already beat me with that damn frying pan!**

**Kiera: Oh, give that a rest already! **

**Me: Aaaaand, Morcelink sends you these. Here's a note:**

**"...Okay, in between chapters you two should play Kingdom Hearts 1 and Re:Chain of Memories. But if you play AND complete the second one, it could slightly change the future...which seems impossible seeing as how it already has in this fic.(pulls out a trophy)for Sora, the "Cookie Lover Trophie."...(rummages around and sweatdrops)..that's all I have at the moment due to a certain plan that I came up with."**

**Sora: (Points at Kiera and laughs) HA! **

**Kiera: (Sticks out tongue) Fine. FOR THAT, I'm not letting you play Kingdom Hearts 1 with me.**

**Sora: What about that Sausage Link of Memories one?**

**Me: (Sweatdrops) You mean... "Re:Chain of Memories"?**

**Sora: Yeah, that!**

**Kiera: Depends on how good you are.**

**Sora: (Slumps in defeat) Damn you.**

**Kiera: OR...You could just lemme have some of that cake Santa gave you, and we can call it a day.**

**Sora: You mean, a slice of the cake you've already stolen a slice from?**

**Kiera: Yep, that's the one! ^^**

**Sora: ...Okaaaayyy...**

**Kiera: YAY! (Drags him off with her)**

**Me: Well, um... You know the drill. Read, review, ENJOOOY! :D**

**

* * *

**

Kiera summoned a Pop-Tart, strolling leisurely down the hall towards the cot room. Goofy was precariously trying to steer the Ship with his feet, which would be why she could hear Donald shouting hysterically while trying to talk him out of it.

She, however, was too exhausted to care WHAT Goofy steered the ship with. As she tried to walk as slowly as possible and nibbled at her snack, she found herself thinking about Morgan.

She had _promised_ she'd be in sixth and seventh period. Although, was it really her fault that Axel showed up and pissed her off?

Kiera had _had_ to leave after that. She couldn't have been able to stand another second without fresh air to clear her head, she knew that much. Otherwise, she would've let herself slip into that damn Blind Rage of hers. She had felt it tugging at her, felt the pressure in the back of her mind that had a bad habit of trying to talk her into losing control.

Now that she thought even more about it, she realized that the pressure was getting more and more consistent, almost _constant_ nowadays.

"Under pressure," she sang suddenly before chuckling and taking a huge bite of her Pop-Tart. It was about that time that her head suddenly throbbed with such force that she was momentarily frozen in place.

She gripped her head with one hand, hissing in a breath. "Oh, dammit...!"

"What'd you say?"

Kiera jumped about a foot, not turning to look at him. Sora's appearance had just made the headache worse. "What? Oh, I said 'Om nom nom nom!' It's whatchya do when you're eating."

"...I've never heard you say that."

"I used to say it all the time. Well, later then," she said quickly, practically diving for the door of the cot room.

Kiera summoned two Excedrins, downed them both with a glass of water, then stuck her head underneath the pillow. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly until the pain was so bad that tears pricked her eyes, and then...she was just...asleep.

* * *

"_Kiera, Kiera, Kiera. I really didn't wanna do this," he said in that disapproving, "This Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You" voice._

_Kiera's eyes snapped open, and her dad was standing there. He was wearing a white lab coat, much like the one he would sometimes wear when he came home late at night._

_Other times, on his days off, it would be draped across the back of one of the chairs at the kitchen table._

_In the pockets of the coat were a variety of items, from syringes to pens to rulers. Just what was he **doing** nowadays?_

"_...Dad," she managed to get out in her dubiousness. Despite everything, there was still slight elation in her voice, as always._

_He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. That was new. "...Kiera. Honey. What're you doing?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_I told you very specifically that I had something I needed you to do. I told ya point blank that you had to get rid of Sora."_

"_Dad, I..." _

_She let herself trail off, not entirely sure what she had been about to say. Dad cocked his head slightly, studying her. "...You've changed. I dunno what it is about you, but you've changed."_

"_A year or so'll do that to ya, Dad," she snapped. The venom in her voice was obvious. He frowned at her tone. "No need to snap."_

"_No need to – NO NEED TO SNAP? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" she shouted, rising to her feet. Why she was sitting on the floor in the first place, she didn't know, but that didn't exactly matter at the moment._

"_Just where the hell've you been this whole time? HUH? WHY DIDN'T YOU COME HOME?" she practically screamed, her fists clenched as angry tears threatened just below the rims of her eyes._

"_...Honey, this whole time, I've been here trying to help **you**," he said soothingly, moving towards her._

_She backed away. "**Help **me? Asking me to kill somebody is NOT helping me! If anything, it's stunting my emotional growth or...or something!"_

"_Kiera, don't you get it? As long as that kid's alive, you'll **never** have your own life!" he snapped, making her jump back with wide eyes._

"_...Huh? I think you're mistaken. I control Sora, not the other way around."_

"_Just because you can tell him what to do doesn't mean under any circumstances that you have more control over him than he has over you."_

_She narrowed her eyes. Something just didn't feel right about this whole thing. "...Do explain."_

_He stared at her for a second before nodding quickly. "Well, alright. Think about it. Whose universe are you in right now, huh? And who's gonna have to give up whatever life they had, or hoped of having, to stay by the side of that kid like a goddamn lap dog? HUH? RIDDLE ME THAT! DO YOU **SEE** YOURSELF? With every damn day that passes, he gets more and more of a hold on you. Pretty soon, he'll be the one telling YOU to 'Sit'."_

_He was practically screaming at her by the end of his rant, and she just stared at him. He sighed heavily. "...Kiera. It's like genetics. He's dominant, you're recessive. You may think you have control right now, but take a step back and look at the big picture. ...Honey, you're never gonna get to go home – and probably not ever see your momma again – if you let this go on much longer. He's got you right where he wants you: beside him. And that's where he's gonna make sure you stay."_

_Kiera shook her head, not able to find the words to deny any of what he was saying. It couldn't be true, that wasn't even CLOSE to the truth! ...But what **was** the truth? _

"_...Dad, I...The bottom line is...I've never killed a person before. Especially not a friend. I couldn't even COMPREHEND killing him at the moment, or anyone else. It's just...not...who I am."_

_He frowned at that one. "...Well...We'll see, won't we." _

_Before she could figure out what the hell he meant by that, she was awake._

* * *

Kiera's eyes snapped open for a second time, and she nearly rolled off the bed in surprise. She sat up, panting a little, drenched in sweat.

Then she shook her head (which wasn't pounding anymore). "...The hell was _that_ all about? And what did he mean by 'We'll see'?"

After a few moments during which she wiped the sweat out of her eyes and stretched, she abruptly stopped mid-motion as she realized something.

For the first time in nearly sixteen years, her dad had not once during their conversation called her "Kat".

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE****...**_

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

He didn't look up, too busy tending to his experiment. "Of course not. But what else can I do? I can't let her keep me waiting forever."

They both watched as sparks flew out of the vial, and a horrible grin spread across Dr. Sage's face. "I told her, the connection between her and that boy was just like genetics. Dominant and recessive. If she refuses to take the reins herself...well...I can always trust her DNA to do otherwise."

"Come again?"

"You know about her 'purpose', right?"

"Unfortunately, yeah, I do."

"That purpose of hers lurks in her DNA. Grace nearly _killed_ me when she noticed she'd gotten a shot straight to the placenta that she didn't remember needing before Kiera's birth. ...Well, anyway. Let's just say Kiera's got a bit of a Killer's Gene in her."

"...Okay, I call bullshit. There's no _way _you...!" He let himself trail off in stunned silence.

"Oh, it's nothing major. Her genetics are all completely normal save for that one strand. And that one strand's attuned to try to take control at a moment's notice, and unfortunately for that Keyblade Wielder y'all mention so much..."

He paused to blow some steam off the rim of the vial, which didn't do much good since the whole thing was on constant billowing-steam-mode.

"Unfortunately for him, I happen to have a bit of experience with customizing genetics. It was pretty easy to set that one faulty strand of hers to turn against him, thanks to that weird connection of theirs."

He laughed a little. "Kind of ironic, huh? The connection that brought them together will inevitably be the very thing that aids his destruction. It'll take effect slowly, starting off with a couple urges when she's already fighting something, but...eventually, it'll lock on to its main target. Sora. And it won't fail; I've had almost sixteen years to perfect this baby."

Axel shook his head in disbelief as Dr. Sage continued to work, talking more to himself. He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against before simply summoning a portal.

He gave "the good doctor" one more glance before shaking his head with a scoff. "You're crazier than I thought. ...I should probably stop you, I don't wanna run the risk of Roxas dying along with Sora, but...I'm kinda curious as to how Kiera handles this one...After all, she isn't a pushover."

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE****...**_

They went back to Hollow Bastion, seeing as there wasn't much place else to go at the moment.

And the first thing they saw upon arrival was a pair of Heartless goons running off in their clackety purple-and-pink armor.

"_Wait _a sec...I thought everything was supposed to be under control here!" Sora exclaimed.

"Hey, look!" Donald said, pointing at the security system lights blinking and making weird noises to their right.

"Must be Organization XIII again. ...Kiera, how's your shoulder?"

She shrugged. "It's not burning, if that's whatchya mean. ...Maybe it only starts burning when they're real close by?" she offered thoughtfully.

"Yeah, maybe. Either way, we better go see Leon," Sora replied, and they all nodded in agreement.

They were on their way, and close by to the Restoration Committee headquarters, when suddenly a golden...ball...thingie zoomed by, making Donald quack in surprise.

Then a group of Heartless appeared, but these Heartless were kind of weird-looking. Not that Heartless ever looked _normal _by Kiera's standards, but still.

She scratched her head in confusion after helping defeat them. "Were those..._Tron World _Heartless?" she asked no one in particular.

"Come on in!" Yuffie shouted, having creaked the door open. Figures she'd do that AFTER they fought the Heartless.

"Wait a second...What happened to this place?" Sora asked thoughtfully.

"Didn't those Heartless look like the ones from Tron's world?" Goofy added, making Kiera's temple throb.

"Does no one listen to a _word _I say? ...It's because I don't have pink hair, _isn't _it?" she accused.

"C'mon, just get inside!" Yuffie exclaimed, running in as they followed.

"Hurry up, Cid!" Yuffie urged as they walked in, Donald shutting the door behind them. Kiera noticed she sure sounded a bit frantic.

Cid continued to type away on his computer. "Give me a second!"

"Confound it, _hurry_!" Merlin snapped.

"Why, you...!"

"What's going on?" Sora interjected. They all turned to look at them.

"Talk about yer good timin'!"

"The MCP is wreaking havoc inside the computer," Yuffie explained.

"Not again!" Donald whined.

"Accordin' to Leon, anyway..." Cid elaborated, "He went on over to Ansem's study to find out what all the ruckus was about. Turns out the MCP is using the data in that computer to crank out Heartless. The MCP's been messin' around with the town's control system, too."

"That MCP sure doesn't know when to quit, does it?" Yuffie commented.

"That's a computer program for ya," Cid agreed.

"How's Tron doing?"

"We can't reach him. We figure he must've been forced onto the Game Grid," Yuffie replied.

"And it don't sound like a particularly fun game, either."

Sora and Kiera shuddered. "Trust us, it's not..."

Donald shook his head. "Awww..." he whined, knowing what Sora was about to say. Why he was whining when Kiera had a feeling her and Sora would be the ones to suffer the most from it, she had no idea.

"Don't worry, we'll find Tron," Sora said confidently, making her droop and sigh in defeat. "I dunno why I even _bothered _to hope you wouldn't suggest going back there...!"

"Thanks, kid," Cid said with a chuckle. "We're puttin' together an MCP Eradication program. I got a hunch it's almost finished, too."

"Well, I hope your hunch is _right _for once!" Merlin interjected, making Kiera snicker to herself. _He just got buuuurned!_

"Listen, we're gonna need Tron's help when that Eradicator's completed..." Yuffie informed them.

"Don't sweat it. We'll make sure to tell Tron!" Sora assured her.

"Remember, now – we're counting on you all," Merlin reminded them.

"Roger!" Sora replied cheerfully, which made Kiera giggle for some reason. No sooner had she giggled when her head pounded slightly, as if someone were probing inside her skull. Before she could even really react, it was gone.

It still left her a little confused as she hesitantly followed the others outside. Whatever was causing her headaches, she hoped it went away soon...

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

Once they had entered the Computer Lab (Kiera staying as close to Sora as possible while on that balcony, of course), Leon immediately turned and took a fighting stance.

"Gawrsh, it's only us!"

"We can't talk to Tron if this room gets taken over," Aerith said apologetically as they walked over to them.

"Did you check in with Cid?" Leon asked. They all nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"And the Eradicator?"

"It's almost done," Donald answered.

"Great!" Aerith exclaimed. "Say, Leon, why don't you go work with Cid?" she suggested, turning to look at him. "I have this place under control."

"Are you sure? All by yourself...?"

She simply glared at him, and he said quickly, "Er, sorry...It's all yours."

"How's Tron?" Sora asked.

"We still can't get in touch with him," Leon replied. "Maybe you four should give it a shot."

"No, we'll go talk to him in person," Sora replied, and Kiera didn't even bother drooping, having accepted her fate.

"Then I have a favor to ask. When you find Tron, could you tell him to head to the I/O Tower? That's where we'll upload the MCP Eradication program."

"The I/O Tower. Got it!"

"Thanks. Watch your backs." And with that, he was gone.

"...We'll be there soon, Tron," Sora said quietly, looking at the computer. Then he looked to Kiera, and she smirked. "Say, look, Sora's learning. When it has to do with computers, you should always just let Kiera do it, right guys?"

"Right!" Donald and Goofy said cheerfully, making Sora's temple throb as she made a huge show of transporting them to the Pit Cell.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to notice that it was pure chaos inside the computer. Tron was currently being circled by a couple blood-red motorcycle thingies.

"Tron!"

"Careful! Watch out!" he shouted back, and not long after, one got him in the side.

"Hold on!" Sora shouted, and Kiera had already run out with an aluminum bat. She had that pressure in the back of her head again; she had a need for some good old-fashioned violence.

And she needed it bad.

So she made sure she got it, beating one of the Heartless apart before beating its parts into _smaller_ parts, and so on, while the others fought the rest of them.

Not that she really realized she was doing it; after the first three hits on that one Heartless, she slipped into a weird sort of state.

It was like her Blind Rage, only more like a zoneage. Blind Zoneage, maybe? Well, either way, it took Goofy and Donald calling her name about eight times and Sora finally putting both his hands on her shoulders and shaking her slightly to snap her out of it.

"...Huh? What?" she asked, looking around dazedly.

It was hard to tell who was more confused, them or herself. Her eyes landed on the tiny fragments she had been bashing earlier, and she sweatdropped. "Now who the _hell_ went to town on one of the Heartless like a psychopath? Sora, I knew you liked to show off, but dammit –"

"Kiera, YOU did that," he interrupted. She blinked, shaking her head. "...Naw, I wouldn't do that. I have a specific average of Heartless I like to beat up, I wouldn't waste all my time on just one, you know that. Jeez, tryin' to trick me," she muttered, making the others sweatdrop.

Slowly, however, it dawned on her. "...Wait...If I didn't do it, then why're all the pieces scattered around _me_?" she wondered out loud, making her aluminum bat disappear as she surveyed the mess before her.

Sora looked at the others, and they nodded before going on ahead. Kiera crossed her arms thoughtfully, trying to figure out if she had had another fit of Blind Rage or not. "...No...I don't _think_ it was Blind Rage...I usually remember at least seeing red before that happens...Hey, my head doesn't hurt anymore, either...Weird, huh?" she asked Sora with a halfhearted laugh.

He didn't laugh.

"You know, not to freak you out or anything, but...you looked like you were really enjoying yourself. Not just in the usual 'Die Heartless, DIE!' kind of enjoying yourself, but more like a seriously homicidal kind of enjoying yourself," he said carefully.

She shrugged. "I dunno what to tell ya, I don't remember a thing."

"Okay, if you're sure..." He didn't sound very convinced, and he sounded a little worried, too. Though, why he'd be worried, she had no idea.

It must've looked scarier than it sounded.

* * *

"Thanks. You really saved me back there," Tron said thankfully once they were all back in the Pit Cell.

"Don't mention it," Sora replied cheerfully.

"What's going on here?" Donald asked.

"The MCP is ready to wage all-out war against the Users. What's been happening on the outside?"

"Well, there's this machine that's making Heartless – it's gone totally berserk...The town's control system's messed up, too. But Cid's putting together a program that can de-rezz the MCP," Sora explained. "Once we pick it up at the I/O Tower, we think it could stop the MCP all together."

"Let's try it!" Tron cheered.

"Great!" Sora cheered in reply, making Kiera sweatdrop. "Y'all are awful...cheerful."

"Who's this _Cid_?" Tron suddenly asked.

"Oh, he's a friend of ours," Sora replied. "Leon, Aerith, Merlin, Yuffie...They're all on the outside worrying about you, Tron."

"Sounds like I have a _lot _of User friends...!"

"Hey, that program should be just about done, dontchya think?" Goofy said suddenly.

"Let's go!" Tron said eagerly.

"To the Tower!" Donald cheered. Kiera shook her head. "No no no, you're doing it wrong." She then pointed a finger forward and ran off, leading the way.

"TO ZE TOWEEEERRRR!" she shouted in a French accent, making everyone sweatdrop. Tron shook his head slowly. "...That Kiera...is a User I will never even _hope_ to understand..."

Sora nodded, patting his shoulder. "That's probably best. _No one _understands her."

"Though sometimes we think Sora's come pretty close, right before he does something pretty stupid to mess it up!" Donald added, making Sora roll his eyes.

_**

* * *

**_

_**THIRTY****MINUTES LATER...**_

After fighting Heartless out the yin-yang, none of which making Kiera act weird again (thankfully), they had finally reached the I/O Tower.

"Nothing's come in yet."

"Leon! Come onnnn!" Sora whined.

"There!" Tron suddenly exclaimed as a light opened up in the ceiling.

"All _right_!" Sora said happily as Kiera's jaw dropped. "Holy crap, Sora, it's like it _listens _to you...!"

Tron pulled out a disc, then sent it up. It soon came back down, and he took it in his hands carefully.

"What's it like?" Goofy asked in an awed tone.

"This is very strange..."

"That's Merlin's magic!" Donald insisted.

"Huh? There's a power booster for me! And flight routines for the solar sailer!" he said cheerfully.

"Meaning...we're set?" Sora said hopefully.

"Well, like you Users say...We won't know 'till we give it a try! We'll need a sailer to get to the MCP, so let's head to the simulation hangar!"

So they did just that, and it didn't take them too long to get there. Once they did, they fought a few more Heartless before reaching the control panel. Tron did his thing while Sora watched Kiera pretend to know what she was doing and fake-pressing random buttons.

Apparently, she was good at pantomiming, better than she thought. "What does that button you keep pressing _do_?"

"It, um...makes...PRUNE JUICE!" she exclaimed, summoning prune juice and pulling it out from behind her as if it had appeared due to the controls.

Sora sweatdropped. "Couldn't you have just _summoned _that with less work?"

"Yeah, but using a button to do it seemed _much _cooler, dontchya think?"

"Not really. _Anybody _could push some buttons to make something appear, it's pretty cool that you can just think about something and make it show up in the palm of your hand."

"Actually, it almost _never _lands where I want it to," she replied, flushing slightly._ Jeez, Kiera, get a hold of yourself, all he did was compliment you. ...Maybe those headaches are from a brain injury or something._

Sora shrugged with a grin, obviously noticing her pink cheeks. Before he could say anything, though, Tron sighed and facepalmed. "You guys have _got _to keep a lookout! The MCP isn't going to just let us waltz in."

Kiera and Sora rubbed the back of their necks bashfully, but then she glared at him. "...Yeah, Sora. Jeez. Stop givin' me compliments and help me keep a lookout."

He made some weird noise, about to protest, but then a couple octopus-looking Heartless zoomed up from his left, and Kiera rolled her eyes. "Great. Speak of the devil." She splashed her prune juice all over one of them, making it fry and explode almost immediately. "Oh, kick ASS!" she cheered to herself, making the others sweatdrop.

Kiera then summoned some OJ (which was about eighty bazillion times better than prune juice, everyone knows that) and drank it as she watched Sora and Donald take on the other one.

Goofy was busy tying his shoe.

* * *

Once it was gone, a couple of machines whirred a little ways off. Kiera made her OJ disappear, running over to Sora's side as he and Tron walked towards a red flashing gap up ahead.

"The MCP is dead ahead," Tron announced.

"Time to settle things for good," Sora replied, glancing at Kiera as she assumed her natural place. _Like a goddamned lap dog,_ her father seethed in her head.

She shook the thought away. She was at his side because she felt _better _there, knowing she was close enough to help him if he got in trouble. That's all. It had nothing to do with him wanting her there. If he even DID want her there.

They then ran ahead, stopping in front of a giant whirring orange...thing. To their left was Captain Asshole.

"Who was that again?" Sora wondered out loud.

"Captain Asshole," Kiera replied in a growl.

"Erm...No, that's Sark. The MCP's number two," Tron replied with a sweatdrop.

Kiera shrugged. "...The difference?"

"Tenacious little bugs! Your time is up. Prepare for de-resolution!" Sark declared, assuming a battle stance.

Kiera sighed heavily, summoning a spike-covered dictionary. "I rest my case. Captain Asshole, all the way."

"Agreed," Sora said simply before lunging towards him.

* * *

Not long after, Sark staggered a little before speaking. "You're rather persistent, Tron," he groaned.

"I'm also better than you," Tron replied shortly. Kiera and Sora exchanged a fistbump. "Ownage," they said in unison.

"We...would have made a great team..." Sark commented, ignoring the two teen Users.

Tron's answer was to throw a disk at him, making Sark fall to the ground before de-rezzing. "Captain Asshole is no longer," Kiera announced, earning a high-five from Goofy. She held her palm up to Tron, who stared at it.

"...You slap it with _your _palm," she prompted.

He did so, and she grinned. "There ya go! Called a 'High Five'. You should use it. Start a trend."

He nodded cheerfully. "I shall. ...But for now...Now to deal with the MCP," he declared, looking up and to his right at the whirring orange thing.

Sora and Kiera sweatdropped. "..._This thing _is the MCP?" Sora wondered.

"Yep, that's it. Ugly thing, isn't it?"

"Looks kinda like an...angry...fat carrot...without the green top and pointy end," Kiera noted absently.

Sora tilted his head to the side before laughing and nodding. "Hey, it kinda does!"

That made everyone else sweatdrop, and Tron shook his head. "You Users. And you said that _Kiera _was the weird one?"

"HEY! ...I prefer the term 'odd', Sora, you know that!" Kiera accused.

**"Tron! Don't you understand?" **the MCP thing interrupted. **"We don't need Users. We've advanced – they're superfluous. Be a part of me, and together the world will be ourse to control."**

"MCP. You still don't get it, do you?" Tron snapped, swiping his hand for emphasis.

**"Sark...Sark! All my functions are now yours!" **the MCP declared, stopping its spinning for a moment and zapping Sark.

He came back to life and rose to be a good two hundred feet tall. Kiera's eyes widened. "...Captain Asshole...is now SUPERSIZED Captain Asshole."

Sora smirked, ruffling her hair. "What, you scared?"

She scowled in reply, summoning a spiked aluminum bat even bigger than the one she used before. "Chyeah _right_. I hope you keep count of how many hits you land. I wanna know how many I _owned _you by."

"You're on!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**ALMOST****AN HOUR LATER...**_

The others were still busy trying to off Captain Asshole when Kiera suddenly got an idea. "OH! DUH!" she said suddenly, summoning a laptop and USB adapter.

She ran for the MCP, turning the laptop on as she went, and summoned a giant door stopper. It jammed the whirring of the MCP, making it and its spinning divider-thingie forced to stay put. **"User! What are you doing?" **it demanded to know.

"About to _delete _your ass."

**"Foolish User, I do not even _have _this anatomical body part you speak of."**

"Don't matter," she said simply, forcing an outlet for the USB adapter to plug into. **"What...What are you doing?" **it asked worriedly, seeming to understand she was using some form of a computer.

"I already _told _you what I was doing. MCP, you should really learn to pay attention to us Users. We sometimes have important things to say, and I really hate to repeat myself," she said cheerfully, copying the MCP's makeup into a file. She then selected the whole code before hitting the "Ctrl" key and "Backspace" key on the laptop.

The whole file slowly deleted itself, and the MCP was surrounded by static as _it _de-rezzed itself. Kiera didn't know if what she did was correct hacker protocol, but she _willed _it to work, so it did.

Sora and the others stopped to watch as she grinned up at her success like an idiot. Until, that is, Sora pulled her up and out of the way.

"The hell're you doing?"

"Duck!" was his reply as the MCP overloaded and exploded in a mass of electricity that sent them diving to the floor.

It wasn't a huge explosion, but it was big enough that it would've fried her if she'd stayed where she was for ten more seconds.

Kiera stood and helped him up. "...Thanks, Sora."

"Don't mention it."

Tron gaped at her. "...Amazing! How did you _do _that?" Kiera shrugged innocently, popping her knuckles in a rather professional way. "That, dear Tron, was simply due to my vast intellect," she replied smoothly.

Sora grinned and shook his head, and she made a defensive noise. "Oh, c'mon, you know it's true! Admit it, that was pretty damn impressive!"

Tron interrupted whatever Sora was about to say by jumping up happily. "Who _cares _what Sora thinks of your intellect? We did it! YOU did it!" he exclaimed, picking up Kiera and spinning her around.

"I see Tron has a _silly _side, too," Sora said with a grin as Kiera laughed.

He set Kiera down and cleared his throat before gesturing to her and Sora. "I learned it from the two of you," he replied sincerely. He chuckled a little. "Of course, I do have my silly limits."

Sora grinned mischievously. "Okay, then I'll tweak your program when I get back to the User world. ...With Kiera being as smart as she is, I'm sure I could do it, too."

She didn't flush this time; instead, her grin mirrored Sora's. "With pleasure."

"You two? Working _together_? ...Maybe we better not try that," he said with a chuckle.

"Aww...How 'bout it, guys? Singin' Tron? Dancin' Tron?" Sora exclaimed, dancing around like an idiot. "Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Donald cheered as Kiera laughed and snapped a picture with her cell phone of Sora twirling like a ballerina.

Tron laughed, too. "Hahaha! Okay, okay, fine. But before I crash...Sora, Kiera, Donald, Goofy, and all the Users out there," he started, throwing his arms out for emphasis.

"Thank you. You really helped me. You made me so much _stronger_. You taught me what friendship is truly all about. And I'll never forget it. As soon as I met you, I _knew _we were going to defeat the MCP and free the system."

Tron held out his hand, and Sora shook it. Tron then pulled him into a hug, and Sora's expression was totally priceless. "Umm!"

"Isn't this what Users do when they're sorry to say goodbye?"

"Uhhh...it's a first for me."

"Gawrsh, Tron, it's like a promise that we'll see each other again real soon!" Goofy exclaimed.

"Okay. Well then," he said before pulling Kiera into a hug. She hugged him too, patting his back. He hugged Donald and Goofy before backing away. "I promise."

"Where're you going?" Sora asked.

Without another word, he dove into the bottomless pit to his left. Everyone gasped with wide eyes, Kiera included. "Tron!" Sora called out as Kiera ran to the edge and looked over it.

Suddenly, the building shook. They looked up and around, and were surrounded by white light like the kind in the pit before them.

Before they knew it, they were back in Ansem's lab.

* * *

"You're here!" Aerith said warmly.

"Welcome back!" Yuffie greeted cheerfully. Kiera could feel her sadness mixing with Sora's as he lowered his head a little before lifting it and asking halfheartedly, "How's the town?"

Kiera stayed silent, trying to look for a logical explanation for what had just happened a few moments ago.

"A-okay!"

"Not a single trace of the MCP, either. Everything's back to normal, we're okay!" Aerith elaborated.

"Hey, what's with the long face?" Yuffie asked Sora, looking between him and Kiera. "...What happened? SORA, what'd you do to her?" Yuffie asked, pointing a finger in his face.

"_I _didn't do _anything_!" Sora exclaimed defensively as Kiera sighed and shook her head. "It's not anything between _us_, it's...It's Tron."

"Tron just _disappeared_," Donald added.

"To the bottom of a bottomless pit, it looked like," Kiera mumbled, not able to stop herself.

"And he promised we'd see him again..." Sora added, looking at the ground again. Suddenly, that familiar MCP noise filled the room, and they all looked up and around in alarm.

"What's happening?" Aerith wondered. Kiera groaned. "So help me, if I have to de-rezz him AGAIN...!"

But it most certainly wasn't the _MCP's _voice that rang out. _**"Greetings, friends," **_Tron said cheerfully. _**"System is up, and ready for User input."**_

"Tron!" Kiera and the others exclaimed.

_**"Keep in touch,"**_ he called out.

"Sure will," Sora assured him.

"Oh _boy_!" Donald shouted, messing with the keyboard. _**"Heeeey, stop that, it tickles!" **_Tron said between a couple laughs.

"Tron is _ticklish_?" Goofy wondered. Sora and Kiera exchanged a look of pure mischief, and she held out an arm. "Lead the way, Señor Mayhem."

"Sí, sí, Señorita!"

He crept over all careful-like to the keyboard before going crazy, clacking away on it. "How 'bout _this_?" he asked Tron while Kiera giggled at how admittedly cute that had just looked before joining in.

_**"Please stop that!" **_Tron begged, laughing harder. That just made THEM laugh harder, and Kiera and Sora typed and clacked even more.

"Hey, look, I spelled 'catastrophe'!" Sora announced.

"Yeah? Well, I spelled, uhh... 'fhifnoawo36y7ngoa'!" Kiera replied.

"That's not even a word, Kiera!"

"Is too! Anything's possible if you believe, and _I _believe it's a word!"

"I think Tron's been hanging around those guys too much," Yuffie said with a giggle.

_**"W-Wait, wait just a moment," **_Tron said suddenly. _**"I want to show you something I dug up in the system archives. You can see the town as it was when it was first built," **_he explained as they slowly stopped typing.

They were surrounded by white light, then ended up outside. They were surrounded by falling sparkly light things, which Kiera tried to catch in her hand.

"You know, this town had another name once," Aerith said suddenly, making Kiera drop her hands to look at her in interest.

"Hmm?" Sora commented.

"...Radiant Garden."

A shiver ran down Kiera's spine when she said the name, though she had no idea why. "Radiant Garden, huh? ...That's a nice name," Kiera commented with a nod.

* * *

They walked back to Merlin's house, and Kiera summoned some OJ. "Whatever happened to the prune juice?" Sora asked.

"Prune juice? I _hate _prune juice. It's only good for attacking people, THAT's how bad it is."

"It can't be _that _bad," Sora disagreed. Kiera shrugged and summoned a glass of prune juice. "Guess you wouldn't mind tasting some to prove that to me, then."

Sora eyed her for a second, and she eyed him right back. "...Fine."

"Fine."

"_Fine_."

"...Sora, you gonna take the juice?" she prompted, holding it out even further in his face.

"Oh. Right." He carefully took it out of her hand before putting the cup to his lips. He moved to sip it, but then he saw her skeptical look and downed the whole thing in one gulp.

Kiera then laughed her ass off as he spit it all out on Donald. "UGH, DISGUSTING!"

"SOR-AAAA!"

Kiera summoned a bucket of water and dumped it on Donald before summoning three towels. "...Here. You might need all of these."

Donald took them, temple throbbing. "...Thanks, Kiera." He glared at Sora for extra measure, and he held his hands up in surrender. "S-Sorry, Donald."

"Sorry is _right_!" he quacked angrily before stomping ahead. He looked at Kiera, who immediately burst into laughter.

"That was _all _your fault!" he accused.

"Um, _I'm _not the one who drank it!" she said indignantly, stopping her laughter to try and look serious.

Sora glared at her, and she glared back. Then he suddenly grinned. "Hmmm, I wonder...is _Kiera _ticklish?"

She paled. "...No, no, she's not. Not at all, I promise."

"Oh, I think she is."

"No, she isn't!" she exclaimed, backing up slowly. His grin grew, and she attempted to run past him to Merlin's house at the same time he jumped forward to grab her. He ended up grabbing her by the waist and tickling her there.

She immediately started spazzing and laughing uncontrollably. "H-H-How'd you know?" she asked between laughs.

"I didn't, I just tickled the first place I could grab," he said smugly before tickling her even harder.

"Hahahahahaha! S-Sora, stop, seriously! Hahahahaha!"


	41. Adventures With Pooh: Back To Back!

Me: Back!

Kiera: We're so punctual!

Sora: (Sweatdrop) Coming from the person who arrives to EVERYTHING at least half an hour late?

Kiera: (Sniffs importantly) Sora, the Queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early.

Sora: Yeah, that's great and all, but if the Queen doesn't arrive late, and everyone else arrives early, where the hell are YOU on this time chart?

Kiera: ...SIT.

_**THUD.**_

Sora: ...Yeah, I had that coming.

Me: Absolutely, but no matter. You guys got presents again from XxAllisonKirkland96xX! Here's a note:

"To get Sora to stop tickling Kiera, I give him a Tickle-Me-Elmo! (Those things are evil though so don't let him play with it too much)

I also give teh authoress, soccerstar7, a plasma, 75 inch flat screen! Cuz then you can taunt Kiera with it by playing their video games :3

And Kiera gets cupcakes! like, never ending cupcakes from France! But Sora can't have any and you can't eat anymore of his cake from Sandy Claws!

Byez!"

Kiera: HA! Bet you wish you woulda just lemme have your cake NOW, huh?

Sora: (Droops) Yeeeaaaahhh...

Me: (Eyeroll) We all know you're gonna give him a cupcake or two, Kiera.

Kiera: WILL NOT!

Me: Whatever you say. Well, anyway. Read, review, ENJOOOOY! :D

PS, sorry if this looks weird since it's not in bold. The document manager thing was being difficult and wouldn't lemme do it without making the WHOLE DOCUMENT in bold writing. Well, whatever, no biggie right?

ENJOY...AGAIN! :D

* * *

Once Sora had finally stopped tickling her due to her somehow getting a cramp in her waist (Sora had said "There's a first time for everything," causing him to get a hard-earned shout of "SIIIIT!" and a smack upside the head for tickling her in the first place), they made their way to Merlin's.

Goofy, Donald, Yuffie, and Aerith were all waiting for them, and Yuffie had a weird grin on her face. "Well, gee. I wonder where _you two_ were this whole time."

"Well, I was standing at _first_, but then I ended up on the ground. But then I got a cramp, so he finally stopped, and now here we are," Kiera said cheerfully, just assuming they had heard her laughter since she had only been around the corner.

Sora facepalmed at their shocked (and epically perverted) expressions. "...Nice going, Kiera."

"What? ...Oh. OH. OH, NO, I MEANT HE WAS_ TICKLIN_G ME!" she said quickly, spazzing out worse than when he'd been tickling her.

That made everyone laugh while the two just stood there turning red. "...Well, at least you're back," Yuffie said between laughs.

"Y-Yeah, me and Donald were startin' ta worry," Goofy added. Sora's temple throbbed, and he stomped over to a book in the corner. "Let's just...I'm gonna go visit him now."

"Visit who?" Kiera asked, running over to see the book. She felt a tugging at her belly button, and she was sucked into the book without warning.

* * *

An area popped up, and her jaw dropped after recognizing the drawing style. "...Wait...Are we...Are we visiting POOH? WILL TIGGER BE THERE?" she asked excitedly.

"Maybe," Sora said with a shrug. She grabbed his hand, dragging him along. "Let's go then! This is AWESOME!"

"Kieraaaa, please don't break my wrist!"

After a few minutes of her dragging, Sora threatened to tickle her again, so she immediately stopped aforementioned dragging.

They were walking along like normal when a wind suddenly blew extra hard, causing Sora to get whacked in the head with a honey pot. "Ouch!" he shouted, rubbing his head as Kiera laughed.

"Hahaha – um, I mean...Sora, you alright?" she asked halfheartedly. He rubbed his head some more. "...Fine...Wonder if Pooh's here..."

"Oh, help, help! Somebody save meee!" a flying pink thing suddenly shouted as it flew past them.

"Was that what I think it was?" Kiera asked.

"Piglet!"

"Sora, h-help! Please!" he exclaimed, currently holding onto a tree limb for dear life.

"Hold on, little guy!" Sora shouted before running after him, Kiera not far behind. She had just summoned a ladder and put it against the tree trunk when Sora jumped into the air, flipping a few times before landing on the branch.

Her temple throbbed as he leapt down, setting Piglet on the ground. "...Showoff."

"If you be nice, maybe I'll show you how to do that later."

She immediately shut up, making Sora smirk to himself. "There ya go, Piglet."

"Whew! Thank you, Sora. ...Who's your friend?"

"I'm Kiera!" she said cheerfully, crouching down on one knee and holding out her hand. Piglet shook two of her finigers, making her go "Awwww!" before she could stop herself.

Sora, of course, rolled his eyes at this.

"Well, hello there, Kiera!" he said before turning to his right and pointing in the distance. "Oh, here comes Pooh Bear."

Kiera brightened even more at that. "Yay!"

Sora stood as Pooh walked over, sighing with relief. "Pooh! You're alright!"

"Why, hello. It's nice to meet you. Happy Windsday."

"Nice to m-meet you? But, Pooh, it's me. Piglet. Don't you remember me?"

"And me, too? We're friends!" Sora added.

"We are? Hmm... It seems I can't remember..." Pooh said thoughtfully, striking his very own Thinking Pose.

"Oh, Pooh..." Piglet said, slumping, "That's v-v-very sad!". Kiera was beyond confused, but figured her best course of action would be to get off her knee and edge towards Sora as discreetly as possible.

Just in case another honey pot dared to hit him in the head.

Piglet walked off, rubbing his eyes as if he were crying (which he very well might have been) before being swept up by the wind.

"Bye Sora! Bye Pooh! Nice to meet you, Kiera!"

"...Piglet..." Sora said sullenly. Kiera sighed and shook her head. "...That's wasn't as fun as I thought it'd be."

"_That_ looks rather fun, though, doesn't it?" Pooh asked, referring to Piglet being swept up by the wind. He was currently doing mid-air somersaults.

"I say, it seems we have a bit of a predicament!" the owl said from behind them. "Sora, would you mind getting down poor little Piglet?"

Sora shook his head. "Not at all." Kiera sighed. "I wouldn't mind either. Which is good, since we all know I'm going up there with you."

Sora sighed heavily. "Yeaaaahhh, I know."

"Count me in!" Pooh exclaimed cheerfully.

Kiera looked at Sora.

Sora looked at Kiera.

"Who's gonna carry him on their shoulders?"

"I think _you_ should, seeing as you have a Keyblade and all. He could help you with some kind of special attack you can make up at the last second, like in every other predicament we've dealt with."

"OR, he could hold your weapons for _you _as you blow obstacles to bits."

"Rock paper scissors?"

"Two out of three."

"You're on."

...Sora lost. Kiera did a Happy Dance. Pooh was rather confused, but clambered onto Sora's back anyway.

_**

* * *

**__**FIFTEEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Jump down, Piglet! I'l catch you!" Sora ssured him.

"O-O-Oh, dear," Piglet moaned, clinging to the tree limb.

"You can do it, Piglet! You just have to be brave!" he added.

"Sora...All right, Sora. I'll tr-try..." And with that, he jumped down. Pooh was the one to catch him, actually.

"Oh, Piglet. That was rather frightening. I do hope you're alright."

"Pooh...You remembered my name? You really, truly remembered?"

"Of course, Piglet. But today, I think I shall call you 'My Friend Piglet Who Is Very Brave'!"

"Me? Brave...? But it's easy to be brave when I have a wonderful friend like _you_, Pooh Bear!"

"I'm happy for you guys!" Sora announced, leaning over with his hands on his knees.

"Oh, and thank you for saving my friend Piglet, Somebody I Don't Know."

"Oh...Uh, sure. Don't mention it," Sora said slowly. Kiera felt a flash of sadness, and sighed. She followed him as he left. "...Sora? You alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Fine."

She just looked at him, and he took one glance at her stare before sighing. "...No. I thought everyone remembered me now."

"Huh?"

"Well, when I was asleep for a year or so, people forgot me. But then, right before I woke up, everyone suddenly remembered who I was at the same time. I thought all my friends had remembered me, but...so far...Pooh's the only one who hasn't," he explained sullenly.

Kiera patted his shoulder, not able to help herself. "Hey, maybe he just had his head stuck in a honey jar for too long or something. I'm sure we'll get him to remember ya soon. Okay?"

He flashed a sort of half-smile before nodding. "If you say so."

"Of course I do. I just did!"

They headed down the path and were nearing a tiny bridge when they saw Pooh floating up above on a blue balloon.

"O-O-Oh dear!" Piglet said from beside Kiera, making both teens jump. "Come on!" Sora said, running off as Pooh landed with a _**THUD**_ and _**SMASH**_ on something.

"Pooh, Eeyore, you both okay?" he asked as Pooh rubbed his head gingerly. "Gosh, that's too bad, Eeyore. After all that work..."

"No matter. Would have most likely fallen down, anyway."

"Gee, Eeyore, I'll help you fix your house," Piglet offered, causing Eeyore to look over at him lazily.

"Oh, hello there, Piglet. Thanks for offerin'. Wouldn't wanna spoil your fun day, though." Kiera sweatdropped. "...And I thought _I_ could be a Johnny Raincloud sometimes..."

"Hello, Piglet," Pooh said as he stood up before turning slightly towards Eeyore. "And hello, Somebody I Don't Know."

"Pooh, this is Eeyore. You know _Eeyore_, don't you?" Sora said in slight disbelief.

"Um, I do?" Pooh asked. Cue the Thinking Pose.

"What could've happened to him?" Sora asked Piglet.

"I'm _telling_ you, he probably got his head stuck for too long," Kiera replied with a shake of the head.

"Oh, _I_ have an idea! Maybe Pooh's tummy is _so_ rumbly that it's making him forget. If we bring him some honey, he's sure to remember!" Piglet announced.

Sora and Kiera exchanged a look before shrugging. "His guess is as good as mine," Kiera commented.

"Well, um...I guess it's worth a try."

"Might work," Eeyore agreed. "Prob'ly not."

Kiera sweatdropped again at that. "First we gotta find some honey," Sora commented suddenly.

"If honey's what you're lookin' for, I know _just _the place," Eeyore replied. "Follow me."

So they exchanged a shrug and followed him.

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

They ended up outside Rabbit's house, Eeyore leading them to a little pyramid-like stack of honey pots. "This is the place I told ya about," he said glumly.

"Wow! Look at that," Sora said, obviously impressed.

"How yummy to my tummy!" Pooh said happily, licking his lips.

"But...doesn't that honey _belong _to someone?" Piglet pointed out. Kiera nodded in agreement. "Yeah, good point. I could always just _summon _him some honey, Sora."

Sora shrugged. "Yeah, maybe so. BUT...If you summon some honey that's not the SAME as Pooh's honey, what'll we do then?" he said mysteriously.

Kiera narrowed her eyes. "Are you _mocking _me?"

"No, I'm just _toying _with you. There's a difference."

"...Well, either way, I'm not gonna take chances!" she exclaimed as if that meant she had won, even though it meant quite the opposite.

Although, it wouldn't have mattered if she had summoned Pooh some honey anyways, seeing as he had already ate all the honey in the pots.

"Oh, no!" Rabbit said suddenly to Kiera's left. "My honey! Pooh, did you eat ALL my honey?"

"Why, hello. Nice to meet you," Pooh said pleasantly in reply, turning to look at him.

"_What _did you just say?"

"Is that for me, too?" he asked, referring to the pot in Rabbit's arms. He walked over to it, taking the honey and plopping down before shoveling it in hand by hand.

Rabbit slumped. "Oh, I was sure I'd found a safe place for it, too..."

Sora eyed Kiera out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, I sure know what _that's _like...I've done that with my cake..."

"One time, Sora, that was ONE TIME!"

"So you really DID have a slice behind your back before we left Memphis!"

"...Maybe, but THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT AT THE MOMENT!"

"...Oh. Right. Sorry, guys," he said with an embarrassed laugh, smiling apologetically at the Pooh characters. They were currently sweatdropping rather massively.

"Also, we're sorry for Pooh. It's our fault, we brought him here," Sora added to Rabbit, Kiera nodding in agreement. "And _my _fault for not summoning him some honey myself. Sorry."

"Oh, hello, Sora...It's good to see you again. ...And, who are you?"

"I'm Kiera."

"Hello, Kiera. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise!" she said cheerfully.

"Uh, same here on the 'good to see you' bit. ...We really are sorry," Sora said guiltily.

"It's quite alright. I know Pooh can't be stopped when he gets this hungry." Rabbit slumped some more, but then Pooh stood.

"Excuse me, Somebody I Don't Know. Is there any more?"

"Are you feeling alright, Pooh?" Rabbit asked with his arms folded over his chest. "Could you really have forgotten all about me? What on _earth _is going on?" Rabbit wondered.

"Is there more honey? You see, my tummy's rumbly," Pooh asked again.

"_That's _it! He's so hungry, he can't remember a thing!" Rabbit exclaimed.

"That's what we thought, too!" Piglet said cheerfully.

"Then let's stuff this bear full of honey!"

"I wouldn't get my hopes up," Eeyore said sullenly. Kiera nodded. "I'm gonna have to agree with Eeyore on this one. I mean, it didn't work so great the first time..."

"But I thought Pooh _ate_ all your honey, Rabbit," Sora said suddenly.

"Oh, I've got more. Must have emergency rations, you know. But...I hid them a bit too well."

Kiera and Sora exchanged a look before groaning. "Ahhh, man!"

"That sounds _just _like an opening line to a mini-game or something...Too bad this ISN'T a video game, then we'd have, like, ten lives...!"

"...The hell're you talking about?"

"...Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"When we get back on the Gummi Ship, I'm summoning a PS2, and we shall play games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Jak and Daxter, and MAYBE Fatal Frame."

Sora shrugged. "Okay."

"Yay! But first...this dreaded Honey Hunt..."

"Aw, c'mon Kiera. It can't be THAT bad!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"This is awesome!" Kiera cheered between laughs as they zoomed up a huge slope before flying off towards the sun.

It was so close she could touch it if she tried, she was sure of it. Sora was ahead of her on a honey pot, and she was sliding on her stomach on a similar one.

"I think I might hurl!"

"I know, right! Isn't it awesome?"

"Yeah!"

They had zoomed so far up that they ended up sliding along pages of the book, between letters and along a red-dashed marked trail.

They then landed in a snowy area, being chased by giant snowballs. "EPIC!" Kiera cheered right before they slid through a hollow log, then back into grassy areas, coming to a stop in Rabbit's yard.

"Mission accomplished!" Kiera announced to the animals cheerfully, gesturing to the huge stack of honey pots they'd snatched.

"There you are, Pooh. Have just as much as you like," Rabbit said happily to Pooh.

"Why, thank you!" he said before plopping down and pigging out.

Kiera and Sora exchanged a fistbump. "We're _so _doing that again the next time we come here."

"With pleasure, Kiera."

Her head suddenly started hurting again, and she winced slightly. She was getting the urge to beat something up again, to make something bleed.

After a few moments of trying as hard as she could to push those thoughts away, they finally faded, and she sighed in relief.

"Kiera, the hell'd you do to your hand?" Sora asked suddenly. Her head snapped up from its slumped position, eyes wide. "Huh? What?"

"Your hand," he repeated, holding up her left hand gently. It was clenched into a fist, so she uncurled it and saw she'd clenched it so hard that her nails broke the skin. Her palm was smeared with a bit of blood, some of it dripping off the side of a couple of her fingers.

"Oh, it was blood dripping. ...Well, _that_ can't be good. It'll definitely affect my gaming awesomeness later," she said simply.

"Well...Jeez, are you _alright_?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. _Really_," she added at that skeptical look on his face. Before any more could be said, Pooh stood up. "Pardon me, kind Somebody, but do you know where I might find another smackeral of two of honey?" he asked.

Everyone slumped with heavy sighs. "Ugh!"

"He's hungrier than a pregnant woman...Or like that one episode of Bewitched where Samantha couldn't stop eating!"

"...Kiera, what the hell're you talking about?"

"Don't worry about it, it'd just depress you more if you knew."

"Gotchya."

Pooh suddenly laughed, having walked over to a hole underneath the sign that read "RABBIT'S HOWSE" with a backwards "S" on "RABBIT'S". She'd always liked that sign; it made her giggle.

"My tummy seems to be telling me there's some honey right in there," he announced before crawling into the hole. Not long after, he started wiggling his stubby legs. "Bother. I'm stuck!"

Sora and Kiera's expressions were utterly priceless.

"He still doesn't remember. What in the world has gotten _into _him?" Rabbit wondered with a sigh.

"Whatever it is, we better help him," Sora pointed out. Kiera popped her knuckles all professional-like and strode over to Pooh. "I've _totally _got this."

The animals all jumped with "Oooh!" noises as she summoned a huge thing of butter and started spreading it around the edges of the hole. "How on earth did you _do _that, Kiera?" Rabbit asked.

"A magician never reveals her secrets," she said mysteriously as she continued slathering butter.

"Hahahahaha! Oh, please Somebody, do stop! That tickles!"

"No can-do, Pooh, it's gonna help you get out."

"...Well, if you say so, Somebody."

"You can call me Kiera. There's too many Somebody's around here, I feel so unoriginal."

"Kiera it is," he said from inside the hole before laughing some more as she continued to spread it around.

"Okay, now to pull him out. Everyone, get in a line from tallest to shortest!" Kiera instructed. She ended up behind Sora, obviously, and he turned his head to smirk at her.

"Shouldn't you be at the _end _of the line?"

She narrowed her eyes in reply, and made sure to tug on the back of his clothes extra hard. "One, two, THREE!" Sora shouted, and they all pulled once, causing Pooh to fly out of the hole.

They all fell on top of each other, with Kiera pinned between Sora, Rabbit, and the ground. "...This...is NOT the time for a Kiera Sandwich!" she shouted, although it was rather muffled thanks to Sora being on top of her.

He flipped over so his back was facing the sky, using his hands to get up in a push-up fashion as Rabbit got his feet out from under her. "Oh, sorry, Kiera."

"No you're not."

"Yeah, not really."

Her glare made him laugh, and after a few moments, Kiera sweatdropped. "Sora, ya...gonna get off me any time soon?"

He shrugged, his hands on the ground by both sides of her waist. "Maybe, maybe not."

"I think you should."

"All the more reason not to."

She rolled her eyes, trying to force the blush out of her cheeks as he leaned a little closer. She decided to pretend she wasn't leaning up towards him herself, or else her dad's words would flash through her mind again. And her dad was the _last _thing she wanted to think about at a time like this.

Well, we'll never know what might have happened, because Pooh suddenly landed right on top of Sora, causing him to fall right back on top of her, and his mouth _totally_ missed hers.

"Oh, why thank you, you two! You stopped my fall!"

"...No problem," they both groaned, their tones laced heavy with annoyance and slight disappointment.

Pooh slid off of Sora like he was a slide, and Sora rolled off Kiera as she jumped to her feet. "Well, on the bright side, at least _Pooh's_ alright," Sora pointed out.

"I wouldn't be so sure, if I were you," Rabbit disagreed. "Why, just – just look at him! He doesn't even remember who I am. Perhaps it's all this blustery wind. Or maybe he actually _does _need more honey! Or he's – he's sleepwalking and – and dreaming!"

Pooh walked over to Rabbit. "Well, if I _am_ dreaming – which I suppose I could be – I sure do hope I get to the part where you invite me to lunch again very soon, Rabbit!"

"That's right, you're _always_ stopping by for lunch – Pooh! You called me 'Rabbit'!"

"Well, of course, Rabbit!"

"What about Eeyore? Do you remember Eeyore, too?"

"Oh, hello there, Eeyore. It's ever so nice to see you today."

"Thanks for noticing me, Pooh Bear," Eeyore said glumly, making Kiera laugh a little.

Sora, with his hands on his knees again as he bent slightly (Kiera was starting to get in the habit of doing that around Pooh and his friends, too), grinned and pointed to his own face.

"Yes, hello there, Somebody I Don't Know!"

Sora slumped with a sigh of defeat before tilting his head back up and smiling. "Well, at least you remember Rabbit and Eeyore now."

He then stood to normal height, as did Kiera, and they went out of the book for a few moments, just to make sure everything was alright at Merlin's. After explaining what had happened so far and establishing everything was alright (more or less) in both worlds, Sora dragged her back into the book.

* * *

"Hi, guys," he said cheerfully to Piglet and Pooh after finding them near Kanga's house.

"Oh, hello Kiera and...Somebody I Don't Know," Pooh said after a few moments of thought. Before Sora could start sulking again, Kanga hopped over with a bottle in her hand. "Hello, there! Eeyore told me Pooh wasn't quite himself. I thought this might be _just _what the poor dear needed."

"Yeah! I hope it'll make Pooh feel better," Roo added from his mother's pouch. Sora and Kiera were about to say something to Kanga, but then they heard Tigger saying nonsense things and bouncing.

Kiera slowly turned to look, then squealed as he skidded to a halt and laughed. "A present! For me?"

"TIGGER! YOU'RE MY FAVORITE!" she exclaimed, glomping him. Sora and the others sweatdropped.

"Why hello there!"

"I'm Kiera!"

"And _I'm _your favorite!"

"CORRECT!"

"That doesn't surprise me. _Everyone _loves Tiggers! And the best thing about Tiggers is that there's only one, and that's me," he announced proudly.

"GAH! I LOVE IT WHEN YOU SAY CUTE STUFF LIKE THAT!" Kiera practically squealed, making Sora's temple throb.

"Kiera, give him some room to breathe, will ya?"

She cleared her throat and stood up, letting Tigger bounce back onto his feet. "Oh. Right. Sorry."

"...Is that still a present for me? A present's what Tiggers like best! And it's not even my birthday!" he exclaimed before doing his Tigger Laugh again.

He took the vial and bounced off happily. "But Tigger! That's not for you!" Kanga called after him.

"Wait, Tigger!" Roo said before hopping after him.

"Oh, dear!" Piglet said simply.

"C'mon, let's go after him!" Sora suggested. He looked to Kiera for some sort of input, and she just grinned like an idiot. "Awwww, he's so cute!"

Sora sweatdropped about three times before sighing and dragging her along by her arm. "Jeez, Kiera, you're scaring me."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"You're saying Pooh even forgot about ME?" Tigger asked in disbelief.

Piglet nodded. "Yes, Tigger."

"That bottle you thought was a present was medicine to make Pooh better," Sora added.

"Aw, who needs medicine? Why, some tiggeriffic bouncing will jog his memory for _sure_!" They watched him bounce around them before stopping in front of Pooh.

"Well, Pooh?"

"That looks like fun, Somebody I Don't Know!"

"Nothing, huh? Hmmm...Of course! We all gotta bounce _together_! That'll do the trick!" he exclaimed before bouncing off. "Follow me! I know the perfect place! Whoever pops the most balloons by bouncing wins!"

Sora looked at Kiera. "Well?"

She shrugged. "I'm game. This right here? This is why I wear sports bras almost _constantly _whenever I go somewhere with you."

He sweatdropped at that, turning a little red. "I really didn't need to know what bra you're wearing."

"Hey, I didn't tell you it was lime green with black polka dots, now, did I? Therefore, for all you know, it could be ANY sports bra! ...Oh...Wait..."

Sora sweatdropped again, facepalming. "Kiera, did you lose your _brain _when we were getting those honey pots?"

"...SIT!"

_**THUD.**_

"...Dammit, Kiera!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"I _so _won."

"Did not."

"Did so."

"Did not!"

"Did SO!"

"Prove it!"

"I betchya remember me now, _don't _you, Buddy Bear?" Tigger asked smugly, making Sora and Kiera stop arguing to wait eagerly for Pooh's answer.

"Well, I remember that bouncing always makes me hungry," Pooh said thoughtfully.

Tigger went straight as a rod in surprise before slumping in defeat. "All that bouncin' and he _still _doesn't remember me? I guess bouncin' just isn't the answer! It makes a Tigger almost never wanna bounce again..." he said sorrowfully, walking away in defeat.

Kiera sniffled, and Sora sweatdropped as she started tearing up. "Aww, Tigger, don't be _sad_!"

"Kiera, would you get a HOLD of yourself?"

"I CAN'T CONTROL MY FEELINGS!" she wailed, making him snicker. "Well, we knew _that _already!"

"SIIIIIIIT!"

_**THUUUUUUUD.**_

"...Ow."

Tigger threw the bottle over his shoulder, and they all flinched as it bounced against the ground, expecting it to break. Luckily, it didn't. "_Please _be careful with that!" Piglet begged.

"Aw, sorry little Piglet. But Pooh not rememering me has me all confuzled! I don't even feel like _bouncin'_!"

"Oh, but Tigger, I thought that bouncing is what Tiggers do best," Pooh said suddenly, making everyone turn to look at him.

Tigger perked up with a gasp. "Pooh Boy! You remember me! You _do _remember your dear buddy Tigger after all!" he said before laughing and bouncing around happily.

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****HOURS LATER...**_

Kiera and Sora had wandered off before pigging out on some food she summoned, and when they got back, they had to hunt down the others.

They found them in some sort of cave, just standing there. The two teens exchanged a sweatdrop. "Hey everyone...Uh-oh, where's Pooh?" Sora asked carefully.

"He went in there," Piglet replied, pointing towards an especially ominous-looking area of the cave. Kiera shuddered; it looked rather dark. "Of course he did...!"

"Do you think there might be a jagular hiding inside?" Rabbit asked.

Owl scratched his chin with his feathers. "A jagular...Well, now. That reminds me of when dear cousin Alphonse –"

"You mean...AL? Damn, that makes me miss Full Metal Alchemist, especially the Brotherhood series," Kiera exclaimed, snapping her fingers in agitated defeat.

Sora rolled his eyes. "I would ask, but I have a hunch you'd just leave me more confused."

"You're probably right."

"Say, why are you all sitting around here?" Sora suddenly asked them with a sweatdrop. Kiera sweatdropped as well, nodding. "Yeah, good point!"

"If you're worried about that bear, let's go find him!"

"That's exactly what _I _was thinking!" Tigger declared.

"Yeah, let's go!" Roo agreed.

"Wait, wait, if there really IS a jagular in there, we better think things through," Rabbit said suddenly.

"It seems we've got a bit of time," Owl agreed. "Why don't I just resume where I left off? My cousin – that is, my father's younger sister's –"

"What's your gut telling ya?" Kiera asked Sora suddenly, interrupting Owl.

He struck a Thinking Pose. "My gut says...We should go find him."

Kiera nodded happily. "Wow, mine said the same thing! Our guts are in sync for once!"

He sweatdropped. "...I'm glad you're so happy."

"Why, thank you for caring, Sora."

"Any time."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FORTY-SEVEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

Finding Pooh was easier said than done. Every once in a while, the animals would panic and run in circles, and it'd be up to Kiera and Sora to calm them down.

And then there was bees. LOTS of bees. And LOTS of falling rocks, one of which would have killed Kiera if Tigger hadn't saw it and bounced her right out of the way.

The funniest part was when Sora slipped on some slick water and fell on his ass, which made Kiera and the others laugh for a good three minutes. She considered it a new method to calm the animals down, since they had been on the verge of panicking when it happened.

Pooh was spotted straight ahead, and Kiera tried to hide her snickering as Sora rubbed his ass on the way there.

"Pooh! _There _you are!" Sora said with relief as Pooh continued to strike his Thinking Pose. "Hey...we looked everywhere for you," Sora continued.

"I was looking for a very dear friend that I remember I made a very important promise to."

"So, did you find him?"

"No, I looked and looked. But he doesn't seem to be anywhere!"

Kiera could feel Sora's slight hope, and she mentally pleaded that Pooh finally remembered him.

Tigger suddenly glomped Pooh, making him fly off the little rock platform he'd been sitting on. "Oh Pooh Boy! So there you are."

"But Tigger, did you have to bounce me so bounce-ily?"

"Gosh, I was thinkin' a jagular had gotten ya!"

"Oh dear," Pooh said suddenly. "I hadn't thought of that. I do hope a jagular hasn't gone and gobbled up my friend!"

"Now, try to remember, Pooh. Isn't _Sora _the one you're looking for?" Roo asked. Sora smiled slightly, looking like he was trying very hard not to get his hopes up.

Of course, Kiera could feel that already, so she wasn't too surprised. There was suddenly a rumbling noise, and Pooh looked around frantically. "Oh no! The jagular!"

Sora laughed and bent down to his level, crouching down on one knee. "No, it's just your tummy grumbling," he assured him, poking his stomach. "You must be hungry. C'mon. Let's head home and see if we can find you some honey," Sora suggested.

"I'd like that, Sora."

"Pooh! You – ...You finally remembered!" he exclaimed happily, making Kiera smile. _Took him long enough. I was beginning to worry..._

"Remembered what, Sora?"

"Pooh..." he said with a smile.

"I like it ever so much when you're cheerful, Sora," Pooh said happily. _Me too, Pooh. It makes everything scarier when he's not, don't it?_

"Me too, Pooh," Sora agreed, making Kiera jump after thinking she'd accidentally said it out loud. Luckily, it was just Sora. If he'd heard that little thought, he'd never let it go. Ever.

"Oh...There's a bit of a rumbly in my tumbly," Pooh remarked after another growl went through the cave.

"Alright. Then let's go home!" Sora said cheerfully, holding out a hand to Pooh.

Kiera watched with a smile as Sora and Pooh held hands and walked out of the cave. _Awww!_ "Hey, guys, wait!" she said suddenly after hearing what sounded like a jaguar growl, hauling ass out of the cave.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FOUR ****HOURS LATER...**_

Kiera and Sora had gone back to Pooh's with everyone else to eat a ton of honey. They ate so much that when they left, they were willingly supporting each other's weight without complaint.

"Unnnnh, I've never had so much honey in my LIFE," Kiera groaned as they continued to make their way through the Hundred Acre Wood.

"Ughh, I know...I think I'm gonna hurl..."

"If you hurl, you better warn me so I can get off you," she threatened before adding, "Oh, and if _I _hurl, can you do me a favor and hold my hair back? 'Cause the last time I hurled, no one was there to keep the hair outta my face, and I was too busy hurlin' to do it, so it ended up getting AAAALLL in my hair, since I have terrible aim, and –"

Sora cut her off with a sweatdrop. "Say no more. Yeah, I'll hold your hair back."

"You're so helpful!"

"When I wanna be."

"...Hey, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"How long you reckon we've been here?"

"Too long," he said with a groan as his stomach made some more weird noises.

"Then why're we still here?"

"'Cause the Hundred Acre Wood's the one spot left of the torn out pages of the book. I just wanna make sure everything's okay."

"Oh...Okay," she said with a yawn and hiccup, leaning more heavily into him.

"Hey, hey, HEY. Equal weight distribution, we had a deal!"

"But Soraaaa, I'm a _girl_!" she exclaimed. She turned her face up to look at him, batting her eyelashes. "We're fragile creatures, y'know."

"Ha! That was funny!"

"Isn't KAIRI a fragile creature? I mean, from what I could tell, all she does is run."

"You don't know Kairi like I do," he said defensively. "If you did, you'd understand. Maybe like her a little more, too."

Kiera huffed, standing on her own without his help, which made Sora nearly fall over since he'd been leaning on her JUST as heavily as she had been on him.

"WELL. Maybe if you knew _me _like other guys do, you'd understand _me_. Maybe like me a little more, too!" she said simply before turning up her nose and stomping ahead.

"Aw, c'mon Kiera, don't be so jealous!"

"JEALOUS? I AM _NOT _JEALOUS, WHAT DO I HAVE TO BE JEALOUS _OF_?" she shouted defensively, whirling around to look at him before counting off the facts on her fingers.

"I'm _funnier _than she is, I'm more _helpful _than she is, I'm _smarter _than she is, I'm _faster _than she is, I'm _stronger _than she is, I'm more _adorable _than she is, I'm more perceptive and observant than she is, I'm more KICKASS than she is, and...I'm just all-around better in general. If I were to be jealous of ANYTHING Kairi has, it'd be the DISTANCE she has on you!" she snapped before turning back around and stomping off before she killed him.

"Hey, wait up, you don't know if there's anything dangerous up ahead!" he called out as he ran after her.

"So what if there is? I can take it. Weren't you paying attention? I'm kickass."

He sighed heavily. "Kiera –"

"Sh."

"Okay, c'mon, now you're _really _acting jealous."

"Shhh!"

"Stop shushing me!"

"No, SHHH. I hear something," she said, holding a hand to her ear and looking around. She heard it again: "Ohhh bother!" someone moaned.

"Sounds like Pooh," they said in unison, making them jump and look at each other briefly before spotting Pooh up on a hill.

He seemed to have his head stuck in an upside-down honey pot. "Are you all right?" Sora shouted up to him.

"Sora? Is that you? Help!"

"We're coming!" Kiera called out.

"...Oh, hello Kiera!"

"Hiya!" she shouted before grabbing Sora by the arm and teleporting them up to the hill Pooh was on.

* * *

With a couple swings of the Keyblade, Sora had him out. Pooh sat between him and Kiera on the log to their left.

"So, what were you doing up here?" Sora asked.

"I was thinking: Perhaps there's a way to make it so you won't go away," Pooh replied.

"You mean a way to make me stay?"

"Yes. Kiera, too, if you like. Would there be such a thing as a way to make it so you don't go away again?"

"Pooh..." Sora began before looking up at the moon. It was full, and it looked like it was close enough to touch if you jumped far enough.

"...I promise I'll come back and visit you now and then."

"Could you make it 'now and now' instead? That seems a bit better to me," Pooh asked, making Kiera sniffle a little. _It's so cute and sad at the same time...! _"Sora, if I go looking for you, will I find you?" Pooh asked suddenly.

"I'll always be with you – right here," Sora replied, pointing to Pooh's heart. "You don't have to go anywhere. Just stay here, and you can see me anytime you want."

"You mean I just have to stay right here?"

"Yep, that's all."

"Would you promise?"

"Promise."

"I promise too!" Piglet said from behind them, making Kiera jump as she wiped at her eyes. _Why the hell am I so emotional? Oh, screw it, that's **so** sweet!_

"And so do Roo and I," Kanga said as she and the rest of the gang came out of the woodwork.

"Sure do!" Roo agreed.

"You and Kiera're welcome to visit us any time, Sora," Rabbit said sincerely.

"Thanks," they replied with grins.

"After all, I must tell you of my Uncle Albert's adventures at sea!" Owl interjected.

"Guess you guys'll be stayin' awhile," Eeyore said glumly, making Kiera and Sora laugh.

"Goodbye Kiera, Sora," Gopher said cheerfully.

"Thanks, Gopher."

"If you two ever get lonely, just start bouncin' and think of your pal Tigger!"

Kiera nodded happily. "Totally."

"You're _leaving_?" Pooh asked suddenly as Sora hopped off the log, Kiera following suit.

"Yes. We _really _haveta go," he said with a sort of chuckle.

"Well, I won't be sad, because you'll always be right here, forever and ever. Right, Sora?"

Sora grinned a little as Kiera made a funny noise and turned away from everybody, wiping and rubbing at her eyes and sniffling.

"And all of you...are right here, too. I'm sure I speak for Kiera when I say that, too. See ya!" he said suddenly as he grabbed Kiera's arm and jumped off the edge.

"COULDN'T I HAVE JUST TELEPORTED US?" she screeched, falling flat on her ass as her stomach churned angrily. He laughed and helped her up. "That wouldn't have been as fun."

They waved to the animals before walking across the bridge and back through the woods.

* * *

Upon arriving back in Merlin's House, they were clutching their stomachs and groaning. Kiera was in the middle of a particularly loud groan when Sora clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh! Look!" he whispered.

They looked around to see everyone passed out in various random positions. According to a calendar, they'd been in the book for almost two days total.

"Holy CRAP! TWO WHOLE DAYS? NO WAY!" Kiera managed to get out, but it came out rather muffled thanks to Sora. He let his hand drop as he turned to close the book. It was already shut, and the cover had changed.

The slashes that had been there were gone, and the picture had changed. On it was Pooh and Sora laying on grass. Well, technically, Pooh was sitting up. Sora was laying while propping himself up on his elbows.

Kiera was sort of crouched behind them with her hands on one of their shoulders each. She was smiling and looked to be saying something.

"Well, wouldya look at that. ...I call bathroom," she said suddenly, practically running for it.

"Oh, no you don't! That toilet is MINE to puke in!" he called out, running after her.

They ended up squeezing through the bathroom door at the same time, causing them to land on the floor. Sora crawled his way over to the toilet, but was nice enough to slide a bucket over to her.

"Thanks. That leap down that hill was NOT good on our stomachs," she groaned.

"Agreed," he said through a groan of his own.

She crawled over so she was closer to him, making him smirk. "...You can't hold my hair back if I'm on the other side of the room," she said defensively.

"Uh-huh. I'm sure _that _was your reasoning."

"It _was_!" she said defensively.

"Whatever you say."

"Soraaaa, stop saying it like that!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE ****HOURS LATER...**_

Leon groaned as he popped his back all the way down the spine; he'd fallen asleep while standing and leaning casually against the wall. How sad was that?

He headed for the bathroom, and noticed the light was on. "Weird..." Then he looked in and saw why.

Kiera and Sora were currently sprawled out on the bathroom floor, snoring away. Sora's head was propped up against the base of the toilet, one arm draped across his stomach and the other underneath Kiera's shoulders, his fingers hidden somewhere in her hair.

Kiera was currently cuddling a bucket, her head laying against part of Sora's stomach and her free arm stretched above and around the top of her head. The hand on that arm had slipped underneath Sora's jacket somehow.

Both of their mouths were slack a little, snores coming from them. A huge smirk spread across Leon's face, and he shut off the light before stealthily closing the bathroom door.

He leaned against it as Yuffie walked up. "Hey, the bathroom occupied?"

"I...guess you could say that."

"Are Kiera and Sora back?" Merlin called out from the main room of his house.

"Yeah," Leon shouted back, striding in there. Yuffie pointed questioningly to the bathroom door, and grinned mischievously once Leon nodded.

He rolled his eyes and dragged her away from the door as she eagerly tried to open it, making her huff and cross her arms. "...I _just _wanna see what they're doing!"

"They're asleep."

"Awww, the classic Sleeping-On-Each-Other thing?"

"Just about."

"Huh. ...Guess they really ARE getting along well," Aerith said pleasantly as Yuffie wriggled out of Leon's grip and went to see what Cid was doing as he typed on his computer and sipped his coffee at the same time.

Leon chuckled. "Yeah, guess so."

"As if Donald's picture weren't _enough _evidence," Yuffie remarked.

Leon and Aerith looked at Merlin. "Satisfied now?"

He nodded pleasantly. "Incredibly. The bond between a Gatekeeper and its Key is a very important, strong, fragile thing. Very easy to break or manipulate in the beginning. But once it reaches a certain point, it becomes increasingly harder, which is what we want."

"Have they reached it yet?" Donald asked groggily, ruffling his feathers and blinking his sleepy eyes.

Merlin chuckled. "I'd say that point's been passed a _long _time ago!"

Goofy scratched his head. "Well, gawrsh, Donald. _I _coulda told you that."


	42. Atlantica, Nothing But Singing: Greeaat!

**Me: Oh. Mai. GAWWWWWD. Sooo many pages worth! **

**Kiera: Then why'd you write it all in one chapter, dumbass?**

**Me: (Templethrob) Beee-CAAAUSE, I only wanna do one chapter per world! Otherwise, this fic would be...like...well, really long. Not quite as long as my Bleach fic, but long nonetheless.**

**Sora: Can we just skip to the presents now?**

**Me: (Eyeroll) Sure. FIRST OFF, from BeautifulShadowsKeybearer! It comes with a note, as do all your presents, because Teh Authoress is too lazy to re-write it all. AHEM! :**

**"For Kiera-A never ending supply of cookies to keep her off of nagging Sora. Sora-a new Summon called a War Panda! It's my personal pet, so use it well. And for the Author-A WISH! Any wish!**

Keep writing! Byebye!

BeautifulShadowsKeybearer"

**Sora: A panda?**

**Kiera: COOKIEEEEES! (Cuddles an armful lovingly) **

**Me: Oooh, any wish! I'll be sure to save that for a rainy day...**

**Sora: Whatever, I've got a FUCKING PANDAAAA!**

**Kiera: (Eyeroll) ...Can we go to the next set of presents? Hopefully they gimme a one-up on Dumbass over there.**

**Sora: HEY!**

**Me: You twooo...Simmer down!**

**Sora and Kiera: (Sweatdrop) ...That's it? We were expecting you to go batshit crazy on us!**

**Me: THAT CAN EASILY BE ARRANGED!**

**Sora and Kiera: NO THANKS!**

**Me: That's what I thought. Anywho, the next set of presents are from a new reviewer, keariel. Of course, it comes with a note. Soooo...AHEM. :**

**"To Sora; I give yew a cushion-for when Kiera makes you sit, so you don't end up breaking something, since it's bound to eventually happen :) - a custom made stick with a pointy end, like kiera's, but if you hit people with the blunt end it TICKLES THEM INTO SUBMISSION (plus, it's rainbow coloured), a cake made by yours truly, a wooden spoon with a smiley face drawn on it (just, y'know, cause it's cute. :) ) a nobody plushie, cause when they're not attcking you those guys are just CUTE, aaand...AN EXTREMELY EPIC HUG! *glomps***

To Kiera; I give you a home-made (but still awesome) heartless costume, with matching plushie hearts, an extra big jar for putting Sora in when he's annoying, a Kairi plushie with matching pins (for when you have jealous moments- just, y'know, don't use them when sora's around. He might take offense.) matching Jack and Sally plushies, for hugs, and a biiig hug from me. :)

To the wonderful authoress, who makes my day; I give you a magical box which will make whatever you want if you shake it three times and think of it, a lovely silver trophy with 'Most kick-ass writer of all time' engraved on the base, a lovely heartless cake, a week pass to any theme park of your choice which renews with more chapters (discrete hint!) and an extra big hug. :)

To you all: mini trophies with awesome engraved on the bottom, a never ending jar of assorted cookies (to SHARE-that means no hogging, Sora!)extra huggles, and a pair of special magic heat compresses for Sora and Kiera...you know...just in case the cramps come back. ^^;

Hopes to see ya soon guys, and don't let the evil ones get you down!

Your new number 1 fan, Keariel. :D

P.s...if you see Roxas or Namine, give them hugs from me? ^^;

xxx"

**Kiera: Ohmigod, she thought about our period needs. That has to be...like...a first!**

**Sora: Hey...How come you haven't gotten your period in a while? **

**Me: 0_0**

**Kiera: 0_0**

**Sora: 0_o'''' ...ARE YOU PREGNANT? **

**Kiera: (Turns bright red) I'M A VIRGIN, THANK YOU! SIIIIIIIIIIIIT!**

**THUUUUUUUUUUUUUD.**

**Sora: ...Owww..**

**Kiera: (Teleports him into the jar and eats her cookies tauntingly in front of him) And for your information, it's only been about two weeks since our last period. Which means we have two to three weeks left until we get it again. So...RAWR. Mmmm...these cookies are really good...**

**Me: That's still so weird, talking about BOTH OF YOU getting a period...Hey, Sora, usually a girl's boobs hurt when she gets her period. So does your chest hurt?**

**Sora: 0_0 ...I'm not at liberty to answer that question.**

**Kiera: (Snickers) THAT'S a big yes!**

**Me: ...Well, before they get into an argument over that... Read. Review. ENJOOOOY! :D**

* * *

Kiera woke up after a weird dream about Heffalumps and honeypots, stretching with a yawn. Sora laughing scared the living crap out of her. "Hahaha...Stop it, Kairi, that tickles...!"

Kiera's temple throbbed more than ever before, and she opened her eyes abruptly. "WHAT'D YOU JUST CALL ME?"

She sweatdropped, realizing Sora was asleep. She also realized her hand had been near his jacket, and when she stretched, she had grazed his armpit.

"Ewwwww," she said with a shudder, hoping with all her heart that he had deoderant on. She then huffed, sitting up and crossing her arms. "I can't _believe_ you called me friggin'...friggin' _Kairi_, you jerkface. I was so comfy, too..."

She knew he hadn't even been talking to her, but she still felt annoyed with it, so she decided to pretend he had.

"We're _nothing_ alike! I...am a REDHEAD. And damn proud of it. She has PINK hair, dammit, and she's nowhere NEAR as great as I am. And that's that! So...So...RAWR. _Yeah_, rawr!"

Kiera stayed in that position, huffing quite a bit, until that pressure in her head came back. Her hand immediately shot up to clutch her head, and she hissed in a breath. "Argh, dammit...! This is all Kairi's fault!"

_**Kill him, Kiera.**_

_What? Inner voice? _

_**Duh. Who else would it be?**_

_Is it normal for me to talk to myself?_

_**Probably not. But still. Listen to me, anyway. Kill him.**_

_Huh?_

_**ARE YOU DEAF? KILL SORA, KILL THE KEY BOY, KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM!**_

_NO WAY IN HELL!_

_**You're just gonna LET HIM drive you this insane?** **You heard the guy, all he talks about is damn Kairi!**_

_That's not true...! And even if it was, what do I care?_

_**He's in love with Kairi, isn't that reason ENOUGH to off him?**_

_Inner Voice, I know you're crazy and all, but poor judgement is no reason to kill anyone, not even Sora. _

_**ARGH! DO YOU WANT THE HEADACHES TO GO AWAY?**_

_...Oh...Oh, more than anything...!_

_**Killing him'll make 'em stop. That's why we have them, you know. Because it's so much work trying NOT to kill him. If we killed him now, this would all be over. And we'd never have another headache this bad ever again.**_

_Well...I...Wait, what the hell am I saying? NO. NO, I'M NOT KILLING SORA, AND THAT'S THAT! WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON, MY DAD'S?_

_**Argh, you're useless! HOPELESS, EVEN! **_

"GO AWAY!" she shouted both inside and outside of her head, tears pricking her eyes as the pain in her head reached a huge peak.

_**DO IT! DO IT! DO IT NOW!**_

"NO! NO, I WON'T! AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

_**I WANNA GET PAST THIS WITH SOME SANITY LEFT! IF WE DON'T KILL SORA, WE'LL GO INSANE!**_

"WE'RE _ALREADY_ INSANE! I CAN'T DO IT! I CAN'T, I CAN'T, I CAN'T!"

_**STOP BEING A WHIMP, SUCK IT UP! ALL IT TAKES IS A BULLET TO THE HEAD, OR A STAB TO THE HEART, OR A SLASH ALONG THE THROAT, OR A FEW SECONDS OF SQUEEZING HIS NECK!**_

"NO! IT TAKES MUCH MORE TO KILL SOMEONE, IT TAKES THE ABILITY TO NEVER WANT TO SEE THEM AGAIN! AND WITH HIM, I DON'T HAVE THAT!"

_**Ugh, will you LISTEN to yourself? USELESS!**_

"LEAVE ME ALONE! STOP TALKING!"

_**Listen, and listen good. To be honest, I'll miss the little Key Squirt myself, but...If we don't do this, if we screw it up, you know dad'll...**_

Whatever her Inner Voice was about to say was lost once Sora grabbed her by the shoulders. As soon as he touched her, it was like turning the volume down really fast. The voice in her head got quiet before fading away completely, and the pressure went away.

"Kiera, the hell's going on?" he demanded, face determined and jaw set.

She stared at him with wide eyes – yet again, just like she had the last time she did something weird – as she felt his fear strongly in the air.

_...I'm scaring him. Then again, I'd be scared too if someone were screaming to thin air._

Kiera shook her head slowly. "...I'm sorry, what'd you say?"

"What the hell's going on with you? You've been acting weird for days now, and now you're screaming at something I can't see...?"

She sighed heavily. "I was just...having an argument with myself. Over something. It's alright, I'm fine now."

"I'm not so sure. You've said that _every_ time something weird happened, and look where that got you."

She didn't answer that one, and after a few moments he sighed heavily. "You know you can tell me anything in the world, right? Anything at all?"

_No I can't, you liar. If I told you I was being pressured into killing you by virtually everybody, you'd run for the hills. ...And I don't blame you one bit._

"...Y-Yeah, I know. And I'd _tell_ you if something was wrong."

_Liar._

"Honest," she added at his expression. _Double liar._

"...I'm not an idiot."

_I know. I wish you were. It'd make things much easier. _"That's debatable," she deadpanned, making his temple throb.

"Don't you go changing the subject, Kiera!"

"Sorry."

"If you're sorry, you'll tell me what's wrong."

_I can't do that. But believe me, I'm so very sorry. I'm sorry for having to **be** sorry, too. _

Kiera sighed. "...Sora, you know how sometimes people have little inner battles to fight?"

"Yeah..."

"And you never tell people about your inner battles while you're fighting them, do you?"

"Not usually..."

"So, you'll understand when I say I can't tell you until it's over. Right?"

He let his hands slide off her shoulders so he could cross his arms, frowning at the ground. "...Yeah...But that doesn't mean I like it."

"I don't like it either," she agreed. After a few moments, she realized she had zoned out and was staring at him like a googly-eyed moron and stood up abruptly, jerking her thumb behind her towards the bathroom door. "Let's go find the guys so we can leave."

* * *

They went to Atlantica next, and it didn't take Kiera long to figure out how this world had affected her appearance.

She felt her tail swishing against the water, and her head shot down to inspect herself. "Holy CRAP!" she exclaimed. She had a lime green tail that was a few shades brighter than Ariel's (if she recalled Ariel's color correctly), with a light blue cropped version of the corseted part of her regular shirt. It had black and lime green sheer undershirts with it, and the end of all three shirts spiked out into an upside-down crown-like shape right above her belly button.

Her necklace and bracelets were still there, but obviously, her shoes were gone. Speaking of accessories and whatnot, Kiera had recently noticed that her outfit in any world had at least one crown on it; and it looked like the crown necklace Sora wore.

Speaking of Sora – _holy CRAP. Look away, Kiera, look away,_ she thought quickly to herself as she tried to avoid looking at Sora. But _while_ she was looking, she liked what she saw, she had to admit. She also noticed he looked more like a half-dolphin than a merman.

But, back to the bottom line...He was a lot more fit than she thought.

Dammit.

And judging by the way his jaw dropped and he blurted out "DAMMIT, KIERA!" before he could stop himself, he was having some problems of his _own_ thanks to Atlantica.

THAT sure made her smirk as Goofy and Donald made "Oooh" and "Whoaaa" noises at their own appearances.

Goofy was a sea turtle, and Donald was an octopus. "Oh boy, back under the sea again!" Goofy exclaimed.

"Uh-huh!" Donald agreed.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Ariel suddenly exclaimed; she was accompanied by Flounder and Sebastian.

Sora started laughing as Kiera somehow managed to faceplant the water while trying to swim, and the others tried to hide their laughter for their own sakes at the glare she shot him.

"...SIT."

They watched as Sora zoomed down all the way to the ocean floor, causing a huge crater.

_**WHOOOOOSH! THUD! **_

"...Owwww..."

"Forget how to swim already?" Ariel asked, shouting down to him as he floundered his way back up.

"Kinda, I guess," he said with a laugh.

"Den you all got to practice! You follow Flounder – he show you what to do," Sebastian exclaimed.

"But first, who is THIS?" Ariel asked with obvious delight as she swam around Kiera, inspecting her. "Umm, I'm Kiera?" she said with a sweatdrop (almost as if that was a rick question) as Ariel fingered her hair, poking the two spikes that always managed to sprout up near the top of her head no matter how much she tried to get rid of them.

"Kiera...I like that name."

"Thanks! You're the first to ever say so. Actually, I don't think my ex-_boyfriend_ ever even said he liked my name. ...Kinda sad, really," she said, drooping slightly.

"Maybe that's why he's an EX boyfriend," Sora suggested. She shrugged, still drooping a little. "...He had been so cute, though...And nice...WHAT WAS I THINKING? I broke up with him right before Valentine's Day, too, how harsh was THAT of me?" she wailed, simultaneously doing as Flounder suggested with her tail movements.

Sora let out a whistle. "That IS pretty harsh, I gotta say. Why'd you break up with him, anyway?"

She shrugged. "He cheated on me. But still. I feel so baaad for it now!" she wailed, making Sora sweatdrop.

"Lemme get this straight. He cheated on you, you dumped him right before Valentine's Day, the ULTIMATE revenge...and you're the one feeling guilty? That's so messed up. And really not like you. At all. I'd expect to see you laughing maniacally and running down the street as he bawled his eyes out," he said thoughtfully, doing the movements as well and – of course – getting the hang of them almost immediately.

Kiera sighed and rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You've only ever liked _one_ girl, and you've got nothing to lose. So...RAWR."

"Only liked _one_ girl?" he wondered as she attempted to do a backflip (and failed horribly). "Yeah right, I wish!"

* * *

"What brings you three into de sea?" Sebastian wondered once they'd all gotten the hang of it again. "Is somethin' going on?"

"Kind of."

"But everything SEEMS peaceful," Goofy added, looking around.

"Oh, everything's fine...as long as Daddy's in a good mood."

"Ain't that the truth," Kiera muttered.

"Hey, we got us a concert very soon," Sebastian remarked, making Kiera perk up. "Oooh, really? Who's playing?"

"Well, if you like, _you four_ could. ...Yes...Why don't you sing in my musical extravaganza?" Sebastian asked excitedly.

Kiera crossed her arms thoughtfully, swishing in place beside Sora. "Weeeellll, Dion DID say we had careers in opera," she said with a chuckle before grinning at Donald and Goofy. "And I'd love to hear what y'all have got!"

"Please say yes!" Sebastian whispered to Sora, swimming over to him. "Ariel's been actin' strange lately. But she might settle down and practice if you're both dere, too," he added, looking between him and Kiera.

"It sounds like fun!" Donald commented.

"Let's give it a shot!" Sora agreed.

"Excellent! Now den, I teach you everything you need."

"Er, what do we have to do?" Sora asked, a little unnerved at the word "teach".

"It's easy! All you gotta do is feel de rhythm! Hear de beat and put a little shake in it!" Sebastian said before swimming away, gesturing for them to follow.

* * *

"You ready?"

They all nodded, and Kiera and Sora exchanged a look. "I'm gonna own you at this."

"We'll see about that," he replied with a smirk.

"Go ahead, Sora!" Sebastian urged, starting up the music. It was a cool tropical beat, with what sounded like a xylophone.

Sora moved to the beat before flipping at a certain point, making Kiera giggle for whatever reason.

"Good job!"

"Oh, what, you think you can top that?"

"I KNOW I can top that!" she replied as the music started back up and Sebastian pointed to her. "Kiera's next."

"Yay!"

She moved her hips to the beat before flipping a little slower than Sora had, arching her back so that it looked more graceful as she spun _juuust_ a little. Because under the water was the only place Kiera was remotely graceful.

"Excellent! Alright, Donald, your turn."

Kiera stuck her tongue out at Sora. "Hear that? I got an _excellent_."

He stuck his tongue right back at her in reply, making her cross her eyes and stick her thumbs in her ears, waggling her fingers at him.

Sora retaliated by blowing his cheeks up before blowing a rasberry at her, making her temple throb.

She blew one right back at him.

So he blew another one.

And she blew another one.

And he blew another one.

And she blew another one.

And HE blew ANOTHE- "Sora, don't miss your cue!" Sebastian warned as the music started up again; this time he'd be doing it with Ariel.

He swam over as fast as humanly (_or half-dolphin...ly?_) possible, just barely pulling off his move.

Sebastian sighed with relief. "Phew! Cut it kinda close dere, Sora."

Sora laughed a little with embarrassment before shooting Kiera a dirty look when Sebastian wasn't watching.

Ariel watched curiously as Kiera simply laughed, making Sora grin a little.

"I think you've got it! That's enough rehearsal, the show starts in twelve minutes!" Sebastian announced after spending some more time to teach them exactly who was doing what moves and singing which lines.

They all broke off into different directions, swimming off to explore. Kiera was in the middle of doing so when Ariel grabbed her by the arm, dragging her along with her.

"If you wanted to hang with me, all you had to do was _say _so!" Kiera protested, spastically trying to regain some balance.

"Hang? Hanging with a tail takes a _looot_ of effort, and it makes the blood rush to your head. Maybe some other time," Ariel offered politely, making her sweatdrop.

"Yeah. Some other time."

"Kiera, may I ask you something?"

"Sure. I mean, it must've been important seeing as how you dragged me ALL –"

"I think I'm in love," she blurted nervously, looking around suspiciously to make sure they were alone.

"...Oh. Okay. That's great, good for you."

"No, see, there's a problem. Well...among the obvious complications...I...I've never been in love before! How do I even know for sure what I'm feeling is real?"

"I, uh...I can't really help ya there, I've never been in love before."

Ariel scoffed. "Chyeah, okay. And Flounder's a shark, and I'm an anemone. It's pretty obvious you are. Now seriously, how'd you know?"

"How'd I know?"

"Yes, how'd you know?" the mermaid repeated impatiently.

Kiera blinked, still really confused as to what the hell made her think she knew a _damn _thing. "W-Well, um...I imagine you'd feel...kinda...warm when you see that person. And...y'know, you'd do anything for them. Don't you love your dad? And your sisters?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Well, being in love with someone's like that, only better. Morgan told me once she felt like she was on a roller coaster sometimes, because her boyfriend would make her stomach flip when he just _looked_ at her," Kiera said thoughtfully.

Ariel nodded slowly before wailing, "That doesn't help me at ALL! I've only seen him one time!"

"Well, obviously you love him," Kiera exclaimed.

"What? What makes you so sure?"

Kiera patted her bare shoulder in a sort of superior way. "Ariel, if you only meet the guy one time and have to ask someone if you're in love with him...Yeah, you're head over heels – er, ...fins."

She seemed to consider that before smiling. "Splendid! Thank you, Kiera."

And with that, she swam off. Kiera shook her head with a chuckle. "Why the hell'd she ask me? If she should ask anybody, it'd be Sora. Kid's had more happen with his love life WITHOUT dating anybody! ...So depressing...If I didn't know any better, I'd say the story between him and Kairi was straight out of a novel. A novel that turned into an epic, adventurous, awesomely better work of ART once Kiera Reilly Sage entered it, of course," she said cheerfully before summoning a couple pieces of popcorn, trying to pop them into her mouth before they got too soggy.

_**

* * *

**_

_**TEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Break a fin!" Sebastian said as he got out his sheet music.

Kiera was situated between Sora and Goofy, and she was currently popping her knuckles like an expert.

"Here goes nothing!" Sora commented cheerfully. Kiera chuckled to herself. "This should be interesting..."

Then they broke off into their starting positions, with Sora and Ariel in the middle clam. "Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play now it's very easy, come on in. Just take a chance and shake a fin!" they both sang, moving to the beat.

"Let the music move you, you can do it!" Sebastian urged.

"Don't be shy, let the music inside and dance, dance, dance!" they sang, ending the verse by going back-to-back and showing jazz hands. Or...whatever the hell they were called.

"See, you can do it!"

"Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play, now it's very easy, come on in. Just take a chance and shake a fin!"

Ariel pulled Sora upward and they swam over to one of the rising, revolving clams, summoning his Keyblade. "See the sign? Can you reach it in time and tap, tap, tap?"

He "tapped" (here meaning whammed) it open as Ariel did a Vanna White pose, showcasing some weird kind of stingray-like creatures.

Then came the dolphins, singing their part. "Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play now it's very easy, come on in. Just take a chance and shake a fin!"

"If you can't reach the target, use magic!" Sebastian advised. Of course, Kiera knew Sora would stretch as much as possible to reach it, just because he knew her arms were too short to do it.

Which she knew, too.

But would she admit that? HELL to the no.

"It's all the same, if you've got steady aim. Just zap, zap, zap!"

Kiera made a point of looking as unimpressed as possible as Sora zapped the chandelier and made it glow and sparkle to life. After all, she wasn't stupid. She could always tell when he looked at her, it would make her scalp tingle.

"There, you've got the rhythm now!"

Then came the jellyfish and angelfish. "Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play, now it's very easy, come on in. Just take a chance and shake a fin!"

Then came their turns. Donald was dancing with an octopus, then Goofy with Flounder, and Kiera "willingly" (here meaning got herself dragged into it) danced with Sora.

"It's not ever yet! You can do it – keep going!"

At this point, Sebastian was reminding her for some reason of that instructor guy on Couple's Retreat that was always shouting "ENCOURAGEMENT!".

It wasn't very pleasant.

Kiera got her solo in next. "Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play, now it's very easy, come on in. Just take a chance and shake a fin!" she sang, getting spun out and back in by Sora.

"Now, what about the bubbles?" Sebastian called out, getting the bubbles to almost immediately stop giggling and playing Truth Or Dare so that they could do their part.

"Just a touch, 'cause it won't take too much to pop, pop, pop!" Ariel, Sora, and Kiera sang as Sora popped one with his Keyblade and Kiera popped the other with a fork, both of them doing flips afterward.

"Ha ha ha! Now, on to the next one!"

"Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play, now it's very easy, come on in. Just take a chance and shake a fin!" they all sang together, in their respective areas.

"Drum solo! Here's the sign. Give him the cue!"

Kiera did the honors, temple throbbing since she had to literally wriggle out of Sora's grip. Which he totally planned, judging by his laughter. He had probably been trying to get her back for their rasberry-blowing war earlier. Stupid Sora, making her have to wriggle her hips like that...

"Count him in so he'll know to begin to drum, drum, drum!" her and Ariel sang as she counted the aforementioned drumming octopus in.

"Now the cues are up to you!" Sebastian announced, and Kiera groaned as Ariel pushed her forward. "Take my cue, I have a tail cramp!"

"SERIOUSLY?" Kiera asked, but quickly followed it up by singing as she swam to catch up with Ariel's abandoned cue. "Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play, now it's very easy, come on in. Just take a chance and shake a fin!" she and Sora sang, singing the last half as they grabbed hands, dove down to the floor of the middle clam, did opposing backflips, and raised their arms in a "Ta-DAAA!" motion.

"Here's your big moment! Make 'em cheer!" Sebastian urged. Kiera looked to Ariel, who quickly switched places with her while attempting to work out her tail cramp.

"Don't dilly-dally, it's your big finale. Sha-la-la!" she and Sora sang, spinning before holding their hands out in that "Ta-DAAA!" way again.

"You made quite a splash! That was fantastic!" Sebastian cheered as Ariel dragged Kiera away from the fish she'd been dancing with.

She danced with Kiera instead, making the latter try real hard not to laugh at Sora's "What about MEEEE?" expression.

"Swim this way, we'll dance and we'll play, now it's very easy, come on in. Just take a chance and shake a fin!" everyone sang together, dancing with their respective partners.

Kiera backed out of Ariel's way as she started her solo, and her temple throbbed as Ariel's tail fin "discreetly" whacked her closer to Sora.

"Swim along, just join in the song, a musical for everyone to have a lot of finny fu-uuun!"

With five more conga-xylophone beats, everyone did their final moves. Sora's consisted of interrupting Kiera's by grabbing her by the hips and making her spin off, and she gave him a HUGE glare as she just barely managed to discreetly teleport back to his side.

"Dammit, Sora, I oughta –"

"Now we're even," he said in a sing-song voice, which just made her glare intensify. Which, in turn, made him laugh.

"You guys were amazing!" Ariel praised, making Kiera rub the back of her neck with embarrassment. "Aww, shucks."

"Hey! I wanna sing more lines!" Donald protested, making Ariel giggle. Then her face fell, and she swam off as her dad drew nearer.

"Your Majesty, we have visitors!" Sebastian announced.

"King Triton," Sora greeted.

"I certainly hope there hasn't been a need to use that Keyblade of yours."

"Nope. Everything's fine. Not a Heartless in sight!" he replied cheerfully.

King Triton nodded with a slight smile before noticing Kiera. "And who might _this_ lovely young lady be?"

"Oh, I'm Kiera. Hiya."

"She's Sora's 'friend'," Donald added, winking rather suggestively as he said "friend".

Her and Sora's temples throbbed rather majorly at that, and even harder as Sebastian and King Triton nodded slowly. "Ohhhh, _okay_!" they said in unison.

"No, really, it's not –" Kiera started to say, but Sebastian interrupted her by saying, "Your Majesty, our guests, dey wanna sing in de musical!"

"Well, that sounds like a _splendid_ idea! We may need your help after all," he added, swimming over to Sora and Kiera as he lowered his voice so Ariel wouldn't hear. "You see, I'm afraid Ariel's still infatuated with the human world. A busy rehearsal schedule might be just the thing she needs to stop thinking about life up on the surface."

They turned to look at Ariel, who was floating a little ways off with her back to them. "Hmm."

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWO**____**HOURS**____**LATER**__**...**_

Kiera watched as Sebastian and Sora tried in vain to get Ariel back to rehearsing. "I'm sorry, I just don't _feel_ like it," she said simply before swimming off.

"No! Ariel!" Sebastian called out, but she was gone. Sora started to swim after her, but Kiera shook her head. "Stop," she commanded, making him freeze mid-motion.

"What's that for?" he demanded to know. Kiera shrugged. "What good'll you going after her do? The girl can't help it. She's in love, you know."

Sora made a face. "In _love_?"

"Yeah, in _love_. You should be familiar with the term."

"Well then...whadda we do?"

Kiera shrugged, and Flounder suddenly spoke up. "You guys, _I_ know what could cheer Ariel up!"

"You do?" they all asked in unison.

"Yeah! C'mon, follow me!" he said excitedly before swimming ahead.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Over here! See..."

"Oh no! Dis must be from de human world!" Sebastian cried out worriedly.

"I found it after that storm – And I bet it's from a shipwreck. Don't ya think Ariel's gonna _love it_?"

"But if de Sea King finds out about dis..."

"It's better than going to the surface!" Donald pointed out.

Kiera rubbed her hands together mischievously. "I've always wanted to explore one of these babies..."

"Kiera, can't you teleport it?" Sora asked, and she shook her head. "Naw, it's too big. If I try and transport this, I'll be too weak to even sit up."

"I could carry you," he pointed out with a shrug.

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't like being carried around. I'm sure Kairi would like it, though, so once I help you find her, you can carry _her_ all you like," she commented matter-of-factly as she swam over to the ship.

Kiera turned around after a few moments, trying not to laugh at Sora's temple throb as the others snickered. "Lovers' quarrel?" Sebastian suggested between chuckles.

Sora huffed, but didn't reply, knowing it'd be virtually useless. Kiera smirked to herself. "...Well? Ya gonna help me, like a good lover should?"

That made his temple throb unbelievably huge, and she was barely able to bite the inside of her lip quick enough to stop her insane giggle fit as he swam-stomped over.

After a few minutes of all of them groaning and moaning and struggling, they sighed heavily and gave up. "It's no use...We need a Magnet Stone..."

Kiera drooped. "I have no idea what that is, what it looks like, or where we might find it, but I know how we attain it."

"How do you know?" Sora asked with honest curiosity.

"Isn't it obvious? ...It'll take a helluva lot of work," she muttered miserably.

Sora sighed as well, then grinned. "...Maybe _not_...Not if you could combine Summoning and Teleportation..."

Kiera's temple throbbed. "Oh. I'm sorry, lemme rephrase. It'll take a helluva lot of work...FOR ME._ MUCH_ BETTER!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS****LATER...**_

"Ariel!" Sora called out, Kiera having been the one to spot the sullen-looking lovestruck mermaid.

"We'd like ya to come with us, Ariel!" Goofy added.

"Have we got something to show _you_," Sora commented.

"...And you better love me forever for it," Kiera added tiredly. Ariel looked a little confused, but followed them anyway, and she gasped in delight when she saw the statue of Prince Eric.

"That's a pretty cool statue, huh?" Sora asked no one in particular as Ariel swam over to inspect it.

"It looks like some kinda prince," Donald said thoughtfully.

Kiera simply nodded in agreement, not wanting to waste her energy telling Donald he was right and then explaining.

Finding that Magnet Stone and then summoning it across entire _worlds_ to where they were had really knocked the wind out of her.

In fact, she was lucky she could still swim. The only main reason she WAS still swimming was because she'd commented on how much Kairi would love to be carried. If she let herself be carried or helped in any way, it would imply she was on the same level as _Kairi_.

_...HELL no._

"A prince?" Ariel exclaimed excitedly, flitting around the statue. Sebastian sighed heavily, pinchers on the top of his head in dismay.

And poor Kiera simply found a nice ledge to sit on as Ariel sang her famous "Part of Your World" song.

And she _loved_ that song!

Would it be considered odd that Ariel's song made Kiera miss Memphis a little more? She was tempted to sing the last few lines with Ariel, but decided against it as her head throbbed ever-so-slightly.

_I gotta calm myself. ...It feels like every time I let my emotions go one way or the other, my head starts pounding, and...No, don't even think about it_, Kiera advised herself, shaking her head quickly.

"Ariel...We're here to help you, you know," Sora commented.

"Oh no – you four stay out of it!" Sebastian snapped.

"Look who's talking!" Sora snapped right back, making Kiera frown. _Stole the words right outta my mouth...Yet again._

"Yeah! _You_ were gonna tell her dad about it!" Donald accused.

"Ohhh, what am I gonna _do_?" Sebastian wailed. "..._Not_ be a prick?" Kiera suggested innocently, making Sora bite his lip to keep himself from smiling as Donald snickered and Sebastian gave her a rather dirty look.

"Sharp tongue your little girlfriend has," he muttered.

Sora scoffed. "Tell me about it."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"This is terrible! We've _got_ to do something," Sora said for the hundred millionth time, making Kiera roll her eyes. "She can't be in the musical like that."

"I'll sing her part!" Donald offered.

"NO," they all said in unison. He quacked defensively. "What? Why not?"

Kiera sighed again, sitting far below them on the ocean floor. "If I feel able to dance like that in time, I guess I could hit her notes."

"That might work," Sora commented thoughtfully.

Donald's jaw dropped. "Aww, Sora, how's _that_ fair? Just 'cause Kiera's your little girlfriend and all, you pick favori-"

"If someone calls Kiera my damn little girlfriend ONE MORE TIME, I swear I'll –"

"Dis will never work..." Sebastian wailed as he swam over hurriedly.

"What's up?" Sora asked, tirade already forgotten.

"I've composed a perfect song for de musical, but I think it's gonna be too complicated for you."

Kiera shot up off the ground, zooming up to Sora's side. "I RESENT THAT!" they shouted in unison, making Kiera sigh. "Sora, stop stealing my words!"

"...Aw, c'mon! How hard can it be?" Sora asked Sebastian, his ego too bruised to fight with Kiera at the moment.

She drooped a little at that, but not by much. She was a bit offended herself, after all. "Yeah, like hell anything's challenging enough for KIERA REILLY SAGE! Lemme see that!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE**____**MINUTES**____**LATER**__**...**_

"Ho..."

"Ly..."

"Shitballs swingin' from between a poo-flingin' monkey's legs," Kiera concluded in awe, making Sora and Donald look at her funny.

"What? That's not what y'all were about to say?"

Sora just shook his head with a look of amusement, but it was wiped off almost immediately and replaced with his former open-mouthed stare once he looked back at the sheet music.

"Uh-oh," Goofy commented warily.

Kiera sighed, turning to look at them. She suddenly grinned, swimming over so that she was in front of them. "I've always wanted to do this," she said as she summoned a general's hat and whip-like stick thingie.

"AAAALRIGHT, Privates! You listen up, and listen _damn good_!" she barked, making them jump.

"Don't you give that sheet music another triflin' thought, ya hear? WE'RE GONNA KICK SOME MUSICAL ASS! While singing every note perfectly, and we shall NOT mess up the words like Christina Aguilera, and we WILL NOT TOLERATE FAILURE! ..._I_ will not tolerate failure," she clarified, glaring dead-on at each of them in turn.

They all gulped. "It's like she's glaring down on my soul," Goofy whispered to the other two.

"I can feel it cowering," Sora admitted in a fearful voice.

"SILENCE! It's rude to talk when I'm talking, ya hear? ...I _SAID_, 'YA HEAR'?"

"YES MA'AM!"

"I'm sorry, what was that? I CAN'T HEAR YOUUUU!"

"MA'AM YES MA'AM!"

"BETTER! So, Privates...WHAT are we gonna do?"

"KICK MUSICAL ASS!"

"WHAT will we not do?"

"MESS UP LIKE WHAT'S-HER-FACE!"

"...Christina Aguilera."

"CHRISTINA AGUILERA!"

"Very good! And HOW will we sing each note?"

"PERFECTLY!"

"And WHEN are we gonna do it?"

"NOW!"

"No we _aren't_, Silly Billies, the musical doesn't start for another, like, couple of hours," she replied with a scoff. "But anyway. ...Atteeeen- HUT!"

They all abruptly stood up at attention.

"Abooouuut FACE! Forward...MARCH!"

And onward they marched. Kiera watched them swim-march, grinning ear-to-ear with pride. "Now _that's_ what separates me from Kairi," she commented as she swam leisurely beside Sora, making Ariel giggle to herself at his expression.

* * *

After rehearsing to "Under The Sea", during which they tried to lift Ariel's spirits (although watching Kiera try her hardest not to go all starry-eyed at Sora's singing voice, having never noticed just how good it _was_ when someone else wasn't singing along with him, seemed to do a good job of lifting said spirits), everyone ended up getting pretty into it.

And Ariel's mood seemed _much_ better.

"So, what do you think, Ariel?"

"Oh, I think it's a _great_ song, Sebastian! It's just not...what _I_ wanna sing," she commented as politely as possible, swimming a little ways away to be closer to Kiera. She seemed to be doing a lot of that, which Kiera supposed was because of the "advice" she'd given her.

"I wanna sing about...how our two worlds can live in harmony – land and sea together!"

"Da Sea King would make _chowder_ outta me if you sang a song like _that_!" Sebastian wailed, covering his eyes with his pinchers briefly before flailing them for emphasis.

"If you're not gonna listen, then I'm not gonna sing at all," Ariel said simply before swimming off.

"Uh – Ariel!" Sora exclaimed, he and the others swimming after her.

"Hmph! How do I get myself _into_ dese situations?" Sebastian wondered in dismay. Kiera chuckled to herself.

"What's so funny over dere?" he snapped. She shrugged. "Nothing really, just...That's usually something _I_ wonder to myself."

She laughed a little more before swimming after Sora and the others. She heard Sebastian going on about something else, but didn't stick around long enough to hear what it was.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

After finally catching up, Kiera followed them all to the surface. "Oh!" Ariel exclaimed, having spotted Prince Eric.

"Is that him?"

"Uh-huh."

"Let's say something!" Donald suggested.

"No, don't!" Ariel exclaimed. "He's a human and I'm a mermaid. I...don't know what he'd think," she elaborated a little self-consciously.

That was a tone Kiera knew well, believe it or not. With a bit of a half-laugh, Kiera realized there was a time when she would've immediately replied to Ariel's comment by saying something like, "He'd probably be thinking 'Holy crap, a hot redhead in a seashell bra, it must be my lucky day!' But now...she just didn't feel like saying something funny. Almost like love was a newly-declared touchy subject for her.

It was just one of those emotions she couldn't touch anymore. ...Unless it was between Sora and Kairi. She could bash that all she _wanted_. But otherwise, love just...seemed like one of those emotions you should just _not_ make fun of or mess around with.

It was delicate.

_Jeez, would you listen to yourself, Kiera? You're getting too damn soft._

"What's that?" Ariel asked suddenly, making Kiera snap out of her thoughts. She started skimming through the water like a dolphin, and they exchanged looks before following.

"Oh! It must be his!" she exclaimed.

"But we can't reach it..." Goofy added, making them droop.

"Rats!" Sora blurted at the same time Kiera blurted "Tartar sauce!". That made the others look at them funny, and they just exchanged a look that clearly read "We should be as quiet as possible for a while". Besides, Flounder seemed to take offense to her mention of tartar sauce.

But then everyone but Kiera exchanged looks before looking suggestively at the aforementioned Gatekeeper.

She sighed heavily. "...Y'all would be frigging LOST without me!" she snapped, her fingers and scalp tingling as she summoned the item.

Once in her hand, she shot that hand out rather exaggeratedly towards Sora. "Here. TAKE IT."

He grinned and took it, shaking his head. "You act like you don't like showing off your Gatekeeper powers."

"Not when I'm drained from the LAST bout of showoff-ness!" she retorted as he handed it off to Ariel, who then zoomed off in some random direction that they had no choice but to go in as well.

Sora rolled his eyes as Kiera lagged behind, eyelids drooping a little. Not that she could help it, she'd done a helluva lot of singing and dancing and summoning and bellowing and snapping and shouting in the past twenty-four hours!

She tensed up and glared at him halfheartedly as he put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her along. "C'mooon, we haven't got all day."

"Sora, I don't like –"

"And I'm not carrying you, so shut up."

"I don't like you helping me _period_."

"Well, I don't care. So shut up again."

"What if I don't _wanna_ shut up?"

"Then don't shut up completely. Just shut up about how independent you are. 'Cause you're an idiot, so I don't believe any of that anyways. ...Besides. We'd be lost without you, y'know," he commented innocently, making her blush when he winked at her.

"...Damn you."

"How'd I know that was coming?

_**

* * *

**_

_**THIRTY**____**MINUTES**____**LATER**__**...**_

"This is great, you guys. I know he'll be happy to have this back," Ariel commented cheerfully. "You guys? I think you mean KIERA SAGE, who _got _that blasted thingie for you," Kiera commented as Sora plopped her down on a ledge.

"Yes, I'm capable of sitting down on my own, thank you."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up? I could've sworn I did."

"I don't recall that."

"Hm. Odd."

"And just who is this 'he', Ariel?" King Triton suddenly commented. Kiera sweatdropped. "He's a little late there, isn't he?" she whispered, making Sora sweatdrop as well.

"Kiera, remember when I said for you to shut up?"

"Yeah."

"Well, now's the time to do that."

"Daddy!" Ariel exclaimed, all the happy auras in the room completely gone.

"Ariel, you _know_ how dangerous humans are!" he scolded. Kiera probably should've taken offense to that, but with the human beings she grew up with, both in her home and neighborhood, she was pretty much obliged to agree.

"You don't even know him!" Ariel protested, turning to look at Eric's statue. "Oh, Daddy, you've told me how much you don't trust humans. But they can't ALL be as bad as you say. And I'm – ...well, I'm going to prove it to you."

"So help me Ariel, I am _going_ to get through to you. And if this is the only way..." he bellowed, raising his now-glowing triton threateningly, "...then so be it!"

Donald and the others exclaimed in surprise as he blew Eric's statue to smithereens. "Nooo!" Ariel partly-sobbed, swimming away. Everyone else swam away, leaving Kiera hanging with Old Pissed Daddy Triton as she attempted to get the strength back in her tail.

He sighed heavily, glancing at her. "...Why are you teenagers so hard-headed?" he wondered.

Kiera smiled slightly. "Because we know it all. Didn't you know that, King Triton? We know it all, and our parents are stupid and useless. And then they get frustrated and protect us in ways we just can't understand. ...If we're lucky, like Ariel is. But sometimes we're too delicate for frustrated protection, y'know."

He smiled just a little as she got the blood flowing back in her tail and kicked off the ledge. "...You are a human yourself, aren't you?" he asked suddenly as she was swimming away. She paused, glancing back at him.

"...Yessir, I am."

"Hm. Maybe she could be right."

Kiera shrugged. "I suppose so. We'll never know until she discovers that for herself, now, will we?"

* * *

Once she finally caught up, Sora and the others sped up. Kiera's temple throbbed, but then she saw Ariel and Ursula chatting together. "Awww _noooo_," she moaned, knowing Sora was about to do something incredibly stupid.

"Sora, you got to stop her, man!" Sebastian called out as Sora zoomed even faster. "Wait!" he called out as he attempted to stop Ariel, but then Kiera shouted out "Sora, STOOOP!".

So he had no choice but to just stay frozen as the whirlpool formed and Ariel sang her voice away to Ursula.

Once the whirlpool was gone, it revealed Ariel with the cloth and rope around her currently-flailing human body.

"Oh no! She can't breathe like that!" Sora exclaimed, and Kiera let him move so that he could help her pull Ariel towards the surface. The other very confused critters followed as Ursula's laughter rang in their ears.

* * *

Once on the surface, they hid behind a rock as Ariel and Prince Eric finally met. At one point, Ariel pointed to the water, towards where they were. But then she frantically waved her arms at him and pointed in the other direction, so Kiera assumed Eric had asked where the hell she'd come from.

_You know, in the movie, I coulda **sworn** she was naked and either Flounder or Scuttle found the cloth and rope thing she's wearing...Oh well._

The thought of the others' expressions if she HAD been naked made Kiera giggle, but then she realized Sora was currently staring daggers at her and her face fell rather quickly.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...WHAT?" she finally shouted, making Eric and Ariel turn to look at her. Sora yanked her underwater, much to her dislike.

"What the hell were you THINKING?" Sora shouted, his glare still going strong.

"What, just then while we were watching them? Do you _really _wanna know? It'll make you blush," she warned, rubbing her arm tenderly where he'd grabbed it surprisingly hard. And...jeez, it felt like her arm nearly popped out of the socket. _He's getting so much stronger these days..._

He sighed exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. "I meant what the hell were you thinking when you stopped me from helping her back there!"

She sighed, glancing out of habit in the direction Goofy and Donald had been in. The two sweatdropped after noticing they were inspecting random things at a distance far enough away to not look obvious, but close enough to where they could hear.

They shook their heads at the Disney characters, but then Kiera sighed, still rubbing her arm. "Look, how to put this...You remember...my Christmas present? I had a Jack Sparrow plushie...and a little case thing with Jack Skellington on it. Right?"

"I know, _I _got it," he replied dully.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, did you not wonder how I had those things to _begin _with?"

"...No..."

"See, in my world, we have movies. They're –"

"I know what movies are, I'm not an idiot."

"Well then how come when I brought them up a _looong _time ago, you looked at me like I was crazy?"

He sweatdropped. "...Kiera. A _loooong _time ago, I seriously _did _think you were crazy. I had just met you, if you recall."

"But...But you said it all doubtful-like!" she accused.

"Because...well..."

"What?"

"Well, don't get mad, but...I just figured you had escaped from a loony bin or something, and I was just surprised you had movies there," he explained, avoiding any and all eye contact.

Which was probably a good idea, since her temple throbbed and her eyes glinted amber in warning. "_WHAT _WAS THAT?"

"Weren't you trying to explain something to me?" he asked hastily, sighing in relief when she nodded. "Ohhh, right. Well, anyway, in OUR world...Um...Every world we've been to so far...and all the characters in it...are part of some of those movies."

"...Huh?"

"For example...You remember the first world I ever went to with you? Mulan? How'd I know she was actually being praised by the Emperor intead of chewed out like you originally thought? And then, how'd I know who Captain Jack Sparrow was? And how in the _hell_ was I such a huge fan of Jack Skellington and his friends if I'd never been to Halloween Town in person before? ...And how'd I know who Donald and Goofy were from the _moment _I bumped into y'all?" she asked pointedly.

Sora stared at her for a few moments before glancing at Donald and Goofy. "So...we're all...in _movies _in your world? People watch our lives without knowing we exist, is that what you're saying?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. See, the worlds we've been to, and King Mickey, and his subjects, are all from a movie company called Disney. Walt Disney created all these characters, and after he died in...like...the 1950s or 1960s, his company created the rest. Some based off of his ideas, of course. And he has a ton of theme parks based on his creations, too. They're really cool – well, I've only been to the one in Orlando – but...As for Hollow Bastion...Except for Merlin, and Pooh, the others are total strangers to me. And so is Kairi. And Riku. And Destiny Islands itself. And Twilight Town. And Organization XIII. And Demyx. And _you_ used to be a stranger too, but, ...not really. I kinda feel like I've known _you_ my whole life," she admitted in a rush, blushing a little.

Kiera squirmed under the stare he was giving her, her blush getting deeper as he pulled her hand down from the arm she was rubbing. There was a mark there from where he'd grabbed her, she was still trying to figure out how the hell he managed that. Now having a gentle grip on her arm, he opened his mouth to say something, but then Goofy and Donald zoomed back over. "Say, uhhh...Shouldn't we tell King Triton about this?" Goofy pointed out.

"Absolutely not! It would break his heart if he found out about dis!" Sebastian interjected, making them all jump and whirl around to look at him. Kiera drooped a little once Sora's hand fell away, attempting to get all the blush out of her cheeks by thinking about puppies attacking little kids, algebra tests, and equally evil or horrible things.

"Then what're we gonna do?" Sora asked as Sebastian swam over. "We gonna stay right here and take care of Ariel. Dat's what we gonna do."

"I guess that's all we CAN do," the Keyblade Wielder relented. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," Kiera replied without even thinking about it.

His look clearly read that she was pushing it (obviously the whole Ariel Incident was far from forgotten), and she beamed at him innocently. "Remember that you love me, Sora."

"No one ever said I –"

"Let's go check on her!" Sebastian interrupted, and Sora cringed as a slow grin spread across her face. He didn't know what the hell was about to come out of her mouth, that much Kiera knew, but she was sure he knew it would be at his expense.

"Awww, Sora. Lookie there. The fates just do NOT wantchya lyin' to yourself like that." And with a pat on his shoulder, she swam towards the surface.

* * *

Kiera found herself grinning like an idiot as she watched Ariel and Eric stroll along the beach. She was wearing that light-to-dark blue outfit of hers, with her bangs tied back in a blue bow. Kierawas still amazed at how openly sappy she was being nowadays. She supposed she was just loosening up or something, maybe because she had finally gotten used to being around Sora and his sheer STUPIDITY at times, not to MENTION his-

"So we just float here and watch?" he suddenly asked, making Kiera jump. Her temple throbbed. _Or, you know...maybe not._

"Have you got a better idea?" Sebastian replied.

"We could make Ursula fix all of this."

"Hah! She ain't gonna bother wid you."

"Hey, you never know until you try!"

"Hmmm...Maybe you're right. It's better dan doin' nothin'. Can I trust you to take care of Ursula?"

"Of course!"

Sebastian put his pinchers over his head, which Kiera guessed was just habit. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all went underwater, while she just blinked. She had been zoned out that entire time thanks to her stupid throbbing head. "...What the hell just happened?"

Before Flounder or Sebastian could reply, Sora came back up. "Oh, hey there! ...What the hell just happened?" she asked again. He rolled his eyes and dunked her.

"HEY, I was serious!"

"Hurry up!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**A****DAY OR SO LATER...**_

"UGH!" they all exclaimed tiredly as they broke the surface, panting.

"Hey!" Sora said, noticing Flounder. "Where's Sebastian?"

"Uhh...oh...well...King Triton wanted him at the Palace," Flounder explained.

"I wonder if it was about Ariel," Goofy said thoughtfully. "If King Triton finds out what happened, we're in hot water," Sora commented. "Especially since we kept it a secret."

"What about Ursula?" Flounder asked hopefully.

The three glanced at Kiera, not in the least surprised when she sighed heavily with disgust. "UGH. Don't even MENTION that damnded name to me right now."

"She disappeared," Donald explained.

"And Kiera couldn't teleport her back."

"BECAUSE NO MATTER WHICH WAY YA LOOK AT IT, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO HER ASS BEING TOO DAMN _BIG_," she fumed, huffing, eyes flashing between light and dark almost like a strobe light. Yes, she was that pissed.

In fact, they all inched away from her. Even Sora. "...She needs to let off some steam," Sora stage-whispered to the others, who nodded quickly.

"I CAN HEAR YOU."

"Gah!" they all practically squeaked, jumping and clustering together a good distance away from her. Kiera pouted slightly, crossing her arms and not looking at anything in particular. "Stupid rage. Can't keep it in check to save my goddamn _life_."

"Well, to change the subject...How's Ariel doing? She's only got until sunset tomorrow, right?" Sora asked, eyeing Kiera at least five times while doing so.

"Hey, look!" Flounder suddenly said, pointing his fin at Ariel. She was currently in the boat with Eric, and a slow grin spread across Kiera's face.

"Holy crap, they're _going _for it!" She had a slight ray of hope that, to cut everyone's losses, this would be another thing this version had wrong compared to the Disney movie. Maybe Ursula would end up not getting in the way and this was the moment they kissed and lived happily ever after.

No Heartless, no Nobodies, no Evil Sea Witch Bitch, no nothing.

Kiera's grin faded for a moment as Sora dove out of the water suddenly, but he just moved to cover Flounder's eyes with his hands. "Hey, I can't see!" the fish protested.

She found herself giggling, and cursed him for it. _Why do you have to do cute stuff like that, Sora?_

Suddenly, the boat jolted, messing up the kiss. The only plus-side was that Eric let Ariel cling to him, but Sora cringed after following Kiera's gaze to the two eels by the side of the boat. "Kieraaa..."

"What?" Flounder wondered as Kiera's eyes flashed and she clenched her fists. "Why those little...they...now I might have to do _more _work in this world...DAMN THEM!" she exclaimed, leaping out of the water only to have Sora grab her by the waist and pull her back.

"Lemme go, dammit!"

"Cool it! That prince guy doesn't know we all exist, _remember_?"

"B-But..."

"NO."

She sighed heavily in defeat, stopping her flailing. "Fiiiine..."

Sora sighed, too. "Man...they were so close, weren't they?" he asked them. They all nodded, and Goofy spoke up suddenly. "Weeeelll, I think we better get back to lookin' for Ursula!"

"Yeah, good idea," Kiera agreed.

Donald snickered. "Hey, at least this taught us something! ...If we want Kiera kept in check, just ask Sora!" he teased, making the others laugh.

She stuck her tongue out at him as he and Goofy slid under the water, but almost immediately after doing that, her dad popped into her head.

_**There ya go again, kiddo. ...Like his goddamned lapdog. Sit, Kiera! Roll over! Play dead! Don't leave me, Kiera, we've got a quest to finish! We'd all be lost without ya, Kiera. You can tell me anything, Kiera, as long as it won't lead to you going back home. To your normal life. You remember what normal is, don't you? Don't you? **_

_**Don't you want that back? Don't you miss Morgan, and Matt, and all the other people you left behind? Sure, Grace is a wreck right now, but she'll get better once her only daughter's back for good. Didn't you tell her you'd never leave her again? How can you do this to her? How can you do this to yourself? Do you ENJOY doing what he wants you to do? Don't you feel that...that urge..?**_

_**...Yes, that's it. You feel it. In your mind. In your heart. Deep down inside...And you can feel it in your nerves. On your fingertips. Dancing right under your skin. ...Rage. You're angry, Kiera.**_

_**You're angry.**_

_**So angry.**_

_**And you won't be able to bottle it up like you have before. ...This is where it begins. ...This is how happiness starts.**_

_No, dad, it's...this is...this is how murder starts,_ her mind disagreed. She was currently seeing nothing in particular – it was as if her vision, or maybe even her state of mind entirely, had shut completely off.

She couldn't even remember what she was _doing _before her dad had popped up into her mind.

_**C'mooon, Kiera. Don't deprive yourself of that urge, that...that need...you crave it. Hunger for it. **_

_**Kiera.**_

_**Kieraaaa.**_

_**Kiera...!**_

"KIERA!" Sora shouted, snapping her back to reality. She jolted out of her previously slumped position, gasping a little.

The air whooshed into her lungs, and she supposed she had forgotten how to breathe somehow.

Her fingers dug into whatever they were touching, and she glanced around quickly in surprise. "...What, uh...What...?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me. ...Because I totally have no idea what you just did," he replied slowly, almost as if he were talking her out of doing something. ...Doing something horrible. Like killing someone.

"I was just...thinking."

"That sure as hell wasn't thinking. And if _that's _the way you think, I'm glad you never think about anything, because it seriously...just...no. Just no."

"What, what happened?" she asked impatiently, her tone on the verge of hysterical. She was beginning to get _really _sick of all these random bouts she was having, and she knew he was too.

"Well, I was about to let go of you, but you just sorta...I don't even know, you just went really limp and still. I guess you passed out, because your eyes were closed, but...then you stopped breathing. I know because before you had been breathing really fast, like you were hyperventilating or something. I came _this _close to giving you CPR or something, and then I shouted at you a few times, and you woke up, and...here we are," he concluded in a rather annoyed tone.

He then pried her fingers out of his arms, which made her flush after realizing that's what she'd been clutching, and he whirled her around in his grip so that she was having no choice but to face him. "...What. The hell. Is _wrong _with you?" he asked simply.

Kiera couldn't do much beyond gape at him like a moron. She'd never seen him so angry before.

"I...Sora, I told you already, I can't –"

"Kiera, c'mooon, don't do that," he said with a groan. "You scared the hell outta me!"

She felt her chest start hurting; probably due to being able to practically taste his fear. And there was something else there... It was some level of concern she'd never felt him feeling before. Ever. And especially not towards her. It made her nervous, and beyond worried for him.

So maybe all that showed in her expression as she said rather regretfully, "As much as I want to, I just...Sora, you don't _want _me to tell you. Honestly. You couldn't handle it. You wouldn't even stand being in the same room as me if I told you. Otherwise, I would've explained a long time ago. Just lemme do what I need to do. And then I'll tell you whatever you want. ...And make another cake. With a stupid and embarrassing apron that you can laugh at without getting sat. Okay?"

He just sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, sure you will. Let's just catch up with the others; we've been up here for almost fifteen minutes."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER****...**_

"Ugh, STILL no sign of her!" Sora announced as they broke the surface. Kiera rolled her eyes. "No shit, Sherlock, I've been looking _with _you."

"I wonder where that sea witch coulda _gone_?" Goofy thought out loud, causing them all to shrug their shoulders with sighs. Then Donald made a weird noise and gestured to a figure way over on the shore. After a ton of squinting, Kiera realized it was Ariel sitting in the fetal position. Judging by the way her shoulders were shaking, Kiera figured she was crying.

"I think I know where Ursula is..." she commented in a voice so low and threatening that it surprised herself.

"...Ariel's been crying like that for a long time," Flounder commented as they swam over to Ariel, Kiera's eyes flashing.

They suddenly heard Ariel's voice, but it most definitely wasn't coming from her. "What would I give to live where you are? What would I pay to stay here beside you? What would I do to see you smiling at meeee?"

Sora and the others ducked when Eric and Ursula (disguised as Stephanie, or whatever her name was, Kiera didn't really care at the moment) came near, but Kiera shook her head. "Don't bother. He can't see you."

"Huh? Hey, what's up with the Prince?" Sora wondered.

She folded her arms across her middle moodily. "Ursula, _that's _what. She turned herself into a bimbo to fool him into falling for her."

"No, seriously."

"Seriously. Look at her necklace," she said sharply, stabbing a finger in the aforementioned bimbo's direction. Flounder gasped after noticing it. "Kiera's right! It's Ursula, she...she must've turned herself into that girl!"

"Okay, that's it!" Sora said simply, aiming his Keyblade and zapping Bimbo Ursula. The necklace flew off her, smashing onto the sand into a hundred pieces. Kiera laughed as Ariel's voice flitted back to its rightful owner. "Sora, holy crap! I couldn't have changed the story better myself! ...That was actually pretty funny."

"Why thank you," he said cheerfully as they exchanged a fistbump. Eric swayed a little as he snapped out of it. "Wha...What happened?"

Ariel walked into his view slowly, and he ran to her after she called out his name. "You...You can talk...You're the one...The girl who sang to me!"

"Oh, Eric, I wanted to tell you!"

"Of course, it...it was you! You're the one who...who saved me that night in the storm!"

Ariel shrugged as if to say "Ehhh, no big deal", and Kiera rolled her eyes as they embraced. That, of course, made her sigh with relief. _Phew, good...That MUST be a sign that I'm not as sappy as I thought! I'm still as cynical and smart-ass...ical...as ever! YEAH!_

"Oh, Ariel. I'm sorry I didn't figure it out sooner. You're the one I love."

"Eric..."

"Not so fast! Do you see what _I _see?" Ursula interjected from a little ways off, now back to her Octopus Self.

They all looked to see that the sun was setting. On the third day. Kiera was the first to speak, and it made everyone's heads turn in her direction.

"...Aw, hell."

Ursula started laughing maniacally, crawling in an extremely creepy way in Eric and Ariel's direction. She grabbed Ariel, pulling her into the sea. "Ariel!" Eric called out, running towards the shore.

Kiera had already plunged back underwater, swimming at top speed after them. It wasn't long before Sora and the others were following her, and eventually they caught up to the sea witch.

"Stop!" Sora shouted, making Ursula scowl at him. "Stay out of this, you fools! Triton's precious little daughter signed a contract! Now, dearie...let's see how beautiful you are when I'm through with you!" she threatened, pulling Ariel around by her wrist.

"That contract's no good!" Sora declared, and Kiera summoned a mace. "It won't be when _I'm _through with you, anyway."

"Let her go!" Triton suddenly barked, making them all jump a little. "Excuse me?" Ursula screeched before being zapped by his triton, making her crash into a huge boulder. Kiera pouted, glancing down at herself. "...Wish I could do that."

Sora paled at the very thought, shivering a little. "I think the world's a much safer place without you knowing how to do that..."

"Now, now – even the great King Triton can't go around breaking binding contracts," Ursula said in a mockingly scornful tone, holding up her contract. "Why, it just wouldn't _do_, _would _it? Now, if you excuse me, I have some loose ends to tie up," she said simply, making Flotsam and Jetsam grab Ariel.

"Wait, Ursula! You win. Just promise you'll let my daughter go!"

"But we had a deal – unless, of course, you're offering to take her place...?"

"I'm afraid I have no choice." And with that, he signed his name over Ariel's. Ursula laughed that creepy laugh of hers as a red whirlpool surrounded Triton, and he was reduced to a rather pathetic-looking...plant...thing.

"At last!" Ursula exclaimed, holding his triton. "Ha! Who's the mighty ruler of the seas NOW?" Ursula taunted, pointing his own triton at him.

"You – You monster! Let him go!" Ariel shouted.

Ursula suddenly cried out, and Kiera realized that Eric had thrown a spear at her or something of the sort. "When the hell did HE get there?" she wondered, making Sora sweatdrop.

"THAT'S what you're wondering about? Out of all the other things going on?"

"You're surprised?"

"How DARE you! Pitiful insignifigant human!" Ursula shouted, making her two eels go after him. Sora got in their way, therefore Kiera did as well. "Hey, that's enough," he said as if he had the authority.

Then again, with _her _on his team, Kiera supposed he DID have plenty of authority. "Ha ha ha! Now you all bow to me!" Ursula declared, ink surrounding them all like a living disease. Ariel and Eric swam for the surface, and Kiera felt Sora grab her hand and pull her as well. Of course, as soon as she could see where she was going, she wriggled out of his grip and did it herself.

* * *

She came up right around the time Ursula finished her verse. "...And like all who defy me, he will learn his lesson well: Never toy with a girl like me!"

"You got what you deserved!" Sora snapped, pointing at her accusingly. Kiera couldn't help but laugh in disbelief, not used to seeing him look all...authoritive. Sure, he was pretty harsh to bad guys (with good reason), but something about the way he said that made a chill run down her spine.

Maybe it was his expression?

"Flotsam! And Jetsam!" Ursula shouted, and Kiera found her fists clenching as the eels wrapped around Sora, making him struggle as if they were strangling him. Which she supposed they were trying to do.

"Loyal darlings, strong as the tide. Sweetest poopsies, hasten to my side! Right now!" Kiera swam against the current of the whirlpool trapping the four of them, summoning a sharp and pointy stick before jabbing the eels with it until they let go. "Mommy needs you. Crush those stupid fools, make them WRIIIIITHE!"

"I don't _think _so!" Sora replied matter-of-factly, making Kiera snort a laugh as she continued to fight the current alongside Donald.

They dodged her tentacles, Kiera missing the last one just barely. Sora zapped the two eels, making them disappear. "Alright!" he cheered.

They headed out of the whirlpool in time for her next verse. "What a feeble human. No, I can't believe my eyes! Such a stubborn royal who is fighting for his prize. Without your precious mermaid, now you're crazy for revenge; I suppose I sympathize!"

She tried to zap Ariel, and Eric watched helplessly from the boat she'd flung him into. "I'm _not _gonna lose her!"

"Damn _straight _you won't!" Kiera shouted, teleporting to Ariel's side. "Right! And we're with you all the way!" Sora added to Eric, he and the other three jumping over the boat. While Kiera made sure Ariel was alright, Sora stayed up midair (making Kiera wonder yet again how the hell he managed that) and landed some attacks on the Ginormous Sea Witch.

"Flotsam! And Jetsam! Loyal darlings, strong as the tide. Sweetest poopsies, hasten to my side! Right now! Mommy needs you. Crush those stupid fools, make them WRIIIIITHE!" she sang again. Sora dove into the water before going back up. "Sorry, 'Mommy,'" he sneered mockingly. "Your poopsies are toast!"

Kiera watched on anxiously as Ursula's face contorted slightly with her rage, her newly-acquired weapon glowing as she raised it threateningly. "This is not the end, my dears, I swear I've just begun. It's not over until Ursula has woooon!"

"That's what YOU think!" Sora shouted, shooting up out of the water before doing an admittedly impressive maneuver that resulted in the triton being knocked out of Ursula's hand and onto Eric's boat.

"No...That's not possible!" she shouted.

"Not _probable_," Kiera agreed, grinning slightly. _Even in a world of mermaids and octo-bitches, Jack Sparrow's lines still fit right in._

"It's over, Ursula," Sora said right before going back under the water. "That belongs to _me_!" she exclaimed, referring to the triton.

"Alright, then – you can have it _back_!" Eric shouted before launching it like a pro and nailing the sea witch.

* * *

Kiera and Ariel watched as Ursula sank into the sea, lightning and inky smoke crackling around her. She felt a nudge on her shoulder, making her make a little noise of surprise as she looked at Ariel. "Yeah, what's up?"

She smiled and cocked her head towards Sora and the others. "Go ahead. Go make sure he's okay, I know you were worried."

"But you –"

"GO," Ariel practically growled, pushing her in that direction. "Alright, ALRIGHT!" Kiera said defensively, teleporting into the gap between Sora and Goofy. They jumped a little at her sudden appearance, but then Goofy chuckled. "Well, lookie there! It's almost like we were savin' that spot fer you without even knowin' it, you fit right in!"

She grinned at that before turning to look at Sora. She then promptly smacked him upside the head. "OW!"

"You MORON, doing special tricks like that when all ya had to do was zap the damn woman! You coulda totally screwed that up! And _died_! ...Not that that would absolutely destroy me or anything, just that I don't wanna haveta do all the work. Which I would if you died. SO DON'T DO THAT."

"But I thought you were complaining about you having to do all the work just a couple days ago?" he pointed out, grinning as she huffed at him before smacking him repeatedly. "THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT!"

While they had been going back and forth, Ariel had jumped out of the water to show Eric her tail. "You see, Eric..._this _is why I went to Ursula."

"This can't be."

"I wanted to tell you sooner!"

"And to think..."

"Goodbye, Eric," she said before turning away, swimming as quickly as possible.

"...I had all that time and I didn't work on my swimming," he concluded matter-of-factly, making Ariel freeze.

"Huh?" she asked, turning to look at him. Eric jumped off the boat, swimming over to her. "Well, I guess it's never too late to learn, right?" he pointed out, smiling at her. "Will ya teach me?"

She gasped. "Oh! I'd love to!"

Sora pumped a fist triumphantly as they hugged. "All RIGHT!" Kiera grinned and rolled her eyes. "Like I said; you'd make a great cheerleader."

_**

* * *

**_

_**LATER**__**...**_

"Prince Eric's a great guy – and he's really brave, too," Sora commented as they treaded water aimlessly by the entrance to Triton's palace.

"Yes. But he IS a human," Sebastian pointed out.

"Oh, bother. Not THAT again..." Donald groaned. Ariel soon swam up as well, and they all looked at her hopefully. "How'd it go with your father, Ariel?" Sora asked.

"Great! Thanks for your help. I gotta go – see you later!" she said quickly before swimming to the surface. "Hey, wait..." Sora called out, and Kiera shook her head. "Dude, don't even bother. She's got it _bad_."

"Got what?"

"Love, stupid."

"...Oh. Right."

"Hey, you guys, I almost forgot! King Triton said this year's festival is so important that the musical better be your best _ever_!" Flounder informed Sebastian.

"My best _ever_?" Sebastian repeated. "Hmm..." he wondered, his pinchers on the top of his head yet again. "All right, what's going on?" Sora asked. Kiera was already prepared to groan, having a good feeling who was going to be in this fantastic musical of his.

"You gotta do me a favor," Sebastian informed them. Kiera crept away as he zoomed over and whispered to the other three what they were going to do.

Just when she thought she'd gotten away, Sora swam after her and dragged her back with him. "Noooope, c'mon, I need your help."

"What? Why me? IF IT'S SUMMONING SOMETHING –"

"Did I say for _me_? I meant for Sebastian. You wouldn't wanna let _Sebastian _down, now, would you?"

"Well, quite frankly, I don't _care _–"

"That's great. So, what I need you to do is try and find this magical element. It's called Thundaga. Think you can do it?"

"I can, but I won't."

"Aww, why not?"

"Because I said so," she said defiantly, turning her nose up at him. He rolled his eyes before sighing heavily, his grip on her wrist moving to her hand. "I really didn't wanna have to do this..."

She eyed him suspiciously as he swam a little lower than her, as if he were on his knees. He grabbed her hand with both of his, pulling it underneath his chin. "Pleeeeease, Kieraaaa?" he begged, widening his already-huge blue eyes innocently.

She felt the heat surge up to her face, making her wish she had listened to her Inner Voice. She SOOOO wanted to kill him now for taking advantage of her like that. Though, she'd do the same exact thing, but...well, crap.

"...Fine. Fine, fine, fine. But I – hey!" she exclaimed as he grabbed her by the waist and twirled her. "Yeah, thanks Kiera!"

"...BUT...In exchange, I want a slice of your cake and I get to sit out this musical."

"I thought you _liked _to sing? Hell, I can never getchya to shut up..."

Her temple throbbed at that, but then she just shrugged. "I have a headache. Plus, I'm exhausted, and summoning this Thundaga or whatever's gonna make me even more tired. So...RAWR."

He grinned slightly at that, and her eyebrows shot up after a few moments. "...Well? I'd like my waist back."

"You still have it. At least, I think so. It LOOKS attached..."

"H-Hey, stop that!" she said between laughs as he tickled her sides, turning her every which way like he was inspecting her. She finally managed to wriggle out of his grip, eyeing him suspiciously before closing her eyes. "Go away until I find it. ...And don't do anything stupid."

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS**__**LATER**__**...**_

Musical now over, Kiera assumed it went well since all the applause and cheering woke her up. She sighed heavily as she sat up and stretched on the ocean floor, swimming back up to her normal level.

She swam over to the stage, noticing Sora was just finishing up locking the world from Heartless. Which she guessed was good, because she _really _didn't want to have to come back and summon random crap for almost every obstacle again.

"Sora, what's happening?" Ariel asked curiously.

"A new path's been opened, I guess."

"WHAT? You're gonna _go_? This is goodbye?" Sebastian exclaimed.

"I won't do it!" Donald replied. "We'll _never _say goodbye!" "That's right! A-one, two, three, four!" Goofy counted out. And with that, he and the other two swam into formation and started singing. Fricking singing.

"Even though we're hittin' the road, our worlds are all connected."

"Which means..." Sora prompted by himself before it was unison again. "We are free to come and gooo."

"And sing!" Donald exclaimed, holding up a finger importantly.

"So don't be sad, and always know, we'll come back soon to say hell-oooo!" they all concluded, making Kiera unable to control her laughter anymore as she giggled and clapped. "Did y'all rehearse that?" she asked as they left.

Sora shrugged. "Maaaybe."

Kiera shook her head with a smile. "I think all that singing went to your head, and you just felt the NEED to sing. In fact, I bet you're gonna make your own musical once this whole thing's over!"

"Ya gonna help me make it?" he asked hopefully, and she knew what he was implying. They both knew when this was over, she was going back home. _Well, I'll be damned...Dad was right..._

Kiera smiled half-heartedly, not wanting him to look at her like that anymore. "Maybe so." Sora smiled, too. "Good enough."

She shook her head at him, smirking a little as she went to check on her charging iPod. "Well, well, well. Gee, Sora, I woulda figured you'd _jump _at the chance to get me outta your hair for a while. Guess I rubbed off on you more than I thought," she said sympathetically, as if someone had died.

But then she saw her iPod was fully charged and practically dove for the device, ripping it off its stand and cradling it in her arms. "Aww, there there, Mommy's home. I know you missed me, I missed you too! Yesh I did, yesh I dii-iiid!" she cooed, making Sora sweatdrop before plucking it out of her grip.

She lunged for it, but he dove out of the way, causing her to faceplant. "Hey, what's the big idea?" she demanded to know, her voice muffled thanks to the floor.

"You should _really _learn to share, Kiera," he said in a mockingly scolding tone, and a grin spread across her face as she heard the sound of the click-wheel. He was picking a song, judging by the sound. And there were only so many songs he knew on that iPod.

Sure enough, the opening chords to "Feel Good Drag" blasted through the speakers, and she kicked the door shut with her foot before rolling over and sitting up. "...Yeah, I'd say you've got a serious case of Music Fever," she deduced with a decisive nod, curling her toes up so that they popped.

_Ahhh, I missed being able to do that...Mermaid tails are overrated._

Sora smirked and held out a hand. "Well, you've ALWAYS got Music Fever, so...care to join me?"

Kiera smirked too, letting him pull her up. "Only for Amberlin."

"Of course."

"This has nothing to do with you."

"Does it ever?"

"Nope!"

"'I'm here for you,' she said..."

"'And we can stay for a while'!"


	43. Imitations, Axel, Roxas, & The Other

**Me: Back again! I just realized we're getting close to the end... sad face.**

**Kiera: (Summons sad mask) Saaaad Faaaace!**

**Sora: Um...Yeah. Sad Face.**

**Me: Well, anyway. I decided that I would do the same thing I did with my Naruto/Fatal Frame 3 Crossover, and have a Q and A session after the last chapp. So, since we're towards the end, you can PM or review me your questions (or both, whatever), and I'll answer them after I technically complete this story. Deal? Deal, yeah, that's what i THOUGHT.**

**Sora: ...Um, Mandy, why don't you just deal out our presents before you scare the reviewers.**

**Me: Right! (Beams innocently) Your presents are from keariel again today. AHEM:**

_**"Now, firstly I just need to add something I forgot from last time; erm, Kiera? Your Jar, for Sora? It...it might need air holes. Otherwise he could...you know...suffocate and die? ^^;**_

Anyways, in honour of this particular chapter, I'm gonna give you all a loverly fish tank, including fish (of course) and an endless supply of fish food. The fishes change colour, too... :D

Sora, I have an extra special, extra helpful present for you; 'tis a book. It has pictures, so you won't get bored. And the title is...How Not To Annoy A Girl; For Dummies.

...there are a lot of things it tells you not to do, but let's stick with number thirty two, shall we? Don't speak. Just...you know, don't. Unless it's absolutely nessasary. And then, most of the time, just don't. ^^; Much love for ya! ^^ *hugs*

Kiera, I want to emphasise how totally awesome you are; and just suggest that having imaginary friends is not really a bad thing when your inner voice is annoying you. It means you can sort of gang up on yourself! ...if that made any sense. ^^

I also have a book for you too; 101 Interesting Commands To Give To Those Under Your Power To Control. There are some pretty cool suggestions in there... *huuuggggg*

To teh authoress; you are just too amazing for words. So I'm not going to attempt to describe how awesome you are; instead, I shall merely give you a ginormous hug, and beg you (on my knees and everything) to please write more soon. :)

Oh, and have a Red Velvet cupcake. Tey are yummy. :)

Keariel

xxx

P.S ...did you know that rawr means I Love You in dinosaur? So, technically when Kiera says 'rawr', she's telling Sora she loves him.

aww...3"

**Me: Well, there ya go! **

**Sora: What was that she said about 'Rawr' meaning something?**

**Kiera: (Shrugs) Dunno. Mandy was coughing really loud when she said that part.**

**Me: Erm, I said that rawr...means...Oh, gee, look at the time! (For the record, yes to those who pointed that out to me, I know that. I forgot about it when I made Kiera start saying that, but then I remembered and was like "Hahaha...That's funny coming from HER!" So I just continued to have her say it, and I was SOOO hoping someone would catch on! So if you caught on before I told you just now, give yourself a high-fucking-five, 'cause I officially think you're Bi-Lingual. *Holds hand up for high-five*)**

**Kiera: ...Well, anyway. ...Read, review,**

**Sora: ENJOOOOY!**

**Kiera: (Temple throb) ...That was my line.**

**Me: (Texas-sized temple throb) _All _of that was MY line, so both of you suck! D: Oh, PS: Thanks BL Truffles for reading all my stories. That feels awesome to know someone's done that, even though I haven't finished at least half of them... ^^;**

_**

* * *

**_

"...I don't get it..." Donald said for about the eightieth time. Kiera didn't look up from the television screen, intent on her video game.

"...Kiera?"

"Yes, Sora?"

"What's the point of this?"

"Well, our name is Heather, and we were in a mall shopping for random crap. But now it's turned really messed-up. So right now, my current goal is to figure out what the HELL'S going on around here," she explained in a rather distracted tone, trying to avoid the monsters in Silent Hill 3.

"...Yeah, but...What's the point to this _game_?" he clarified.

"I just told you."

"It seems kinda pointless."

Kiera paused the game, temple throbbing, as she turned to look at him. "Sora...dude...It couldn't have MORE of a point. In a game like Silent Hill, there is ALWAYS something to be learned from it and applied to daily life. Like in the second game, one of the arguable morals of the game is that you can't run away from the truth, because in the end _you_ are your worst enemy."

She paused, thinking. "...Huh...I'm my worst enemy...That would make sense." And with a shrug, she turned back to the game and continued playing.

Sora rolled his eyes and shook his head, walking towards the navigation part of the Gummi Ship. "Here we are on a quest to save _aaaall_ these worlds, and you're sitting there playing a video game about a made-up person's problems."

She could have pointed out that the people whose problems he LOVED for her to help him solve in all these worlds were just as made-up as Heather from Silent Hill 3, but didn't want to bring that up any more than necessary. He'd looked a bit freaked out when she'd explained it to him.

"What do you not get?" he asked Donald as Kiera played her game.

"These worlds! No new path opened, so...where're we supposed to go?"

"Hmm..."

After a few moments during which the creepy noises from the game seemed even louder due to the silence, Kiera sighed impatiently. "Twilight Town!"

"Huh?"

"How do _you_ know?" Donald asked skeptically. Kiera shrugged, continuing to beat the crap out of the monster-dog with a pipe. "It's where all this started, isn't it? Where y'all woke up and I was taken to, right? Maybe everything's gonna come full-circle, and that's our next stop. Wouldn't hurt to check, I mean, we have nowhere else to go. _Do we_, gentlemen?"

Their jaws dropped as she continued to make blood fly. "...She's right..."

"I tend to be. HURRY, HEATHER, KICK HIM SO HE'LL STAY DOWN!"

Aaaand THAT'S how they ended up setting course for Twilight Town. After a while, Kiera got stuck on the game, and instead of admitting that, she just informed Sora (who was trying to discreetly watch, but _no one_ stood in the doorway for about ten minutes trying to pick lint off their jacket!) that she was hungry. She discreetly turned the game off while she went to the kitchen.

Afterwards, all Kiera would remember was debating whether to summon orange juice and a Pop-Tart or soda and some ice cream before it happened. Sora was in the kitchen as well, watching as she had a debate with herself out loud about the dilemma. And then, once she had decided on OJ and _ice cream_, she was about to summon a spoon.

But when she summoned it, a knife appeared instead. A huge kitchen knife. She was looking at it funny, trying to figure out why that had shown up, when she realized she was mad at Sora.

Everything he did suddenly pissed her off beyond belief. She hated the way he watched every move she made. She hated that he wanted her to stick around after their quest was over. She hated that he knew he could use his eyes to get her to do what he wanted. She hated that he tickled her whenever he pleased. She hated the way he could make her blush nowadays. She hated that despite whatever happened between them each day, she could almost guarantee his last thought was always about Kairi. She hated that she'd just realized she hated that. And above all, she hated that he was so close to her at the moment.

In fact, if she wanted, she could kill him. Just slit his throat right there. That's, of course, assuming she wanted to. ...Because she didn't want to. That would be crazy. Totally undeserved. She'd never forgive herself.

...Then again...she DID hate him quite a bit. ...And she WAS crazy – she argued with herself, after all, and on a couple occasions almost lost! And...it WAS his fault she hated him so much, so maybe he deserved it after all. And sure, it would be a terrible thing to do, but...she'd also never forgive herself if twenty years from now she was still by his side, babysitting his and Kairi's kids while Kairi ate bon-bons, summoning their weekly groceries, and helping him in any way he wanted.

NO.

She could NOT do that to herself – to her mom. She had a future, didn't she? Couldn't she have one without him? ...No. Not unless he was out of the way.

Out of the way.

Death would shove him to the side. He _certainly_ wouldn't be in the way. He...

She didn't even realize what she was doing until she had already lunged for him with the knife. Luckily for her, she missed, and the knife dug into the counter instead. "Holy shit, Kiera, what the HELL just happened?" he exclaimed, having not even noticed she had a knife.

Thinking fast, she summoned an orange sliced in half and turned around, showing it to him. "...I wanted some fruit on my ice cream," she explained shakily with a smile so forced that it hurt. Sora shook his head with a grin. "You're gonna kill someone if you swing around a knife like that...! I mean, sure it's impressive that you can cut it straight down the middle in one swing, but I'd rather not have my hand cut off. Or yours."

"R-Right," she said quickly, dropping the knife in the sink with a clang as she walked quickly out of the room. "I'm gonna...just..."

"Hey, Kiera, you forgot your food!"

"I don't want it anymore!" she threw over her shoulder, making a beeline for the bathroom. She shut the door behind her, turned on the hot water, and stripped as quickly as possible before slinging a towel over the curtain and hopping into the shower.

_A hot shower makes everything clearer. _

But the only thing it made clearer was that she didn't have a handle on herself anymore. Kiera mechanically washed her hair, bathed, shaved, and then she just stood there with the water beating down on her. The skin on her scalp and upper back felt tighter than the rest thanks to her just standing there at that straight angle.

Kiera pushed her hair back with both hands, tears pricking her eyes. "...Am I...Am I going crazy? It's not normal, I know it's not. Not even on a _Kiera Level_ is it normal to...almost...Oh God, what did I just DO back there?" she wondered, her voice cracking a little. After a few moments of shortness of breath, she turned the water off and dried herself off halfheartedly.

She was still soaking wet as she stepped out of the shower, wrapped the towel around her, curled up into a ball while leaning her back against the wall, buried her face against her towel-covered knees, and cried without a sound.

That had to be a first; crying without noise. She'd never been able to do that before. But then again, maybe her brain and body understood that it would be bad for them both if someone heard and asked what was wrong.

Because how in the HELL was she going to explain? She couldn't just blow them off by saying it was her period or something, because now Good Ole Sora had her periods as well. There went HER old excuse!

_Sora...My pain always comes back to him, whether I know it right away or not...Funny the way it is._

She laughed a little at that. "Funny the way it is, if you think about it...Somebody's goin' hungry and someone else is eating out. Funny the way it is, not right or wrong, somebody's heart gets broken and it becomes your favorite song," she sang to herself, sniffling a little before laughing again.

But then the laughing turned back into crying, and she felt miserable all over again. "...Stop that. Please."

Kiera stiffened, not daring to look up. "The door was shut, why'd you open it? I coulda been naked for all you knew."

"I didn't know you were in here."

"Bullshit."

"No, really, I thought you'd left already." Kiera paused for a few moments before sighing and looking up, feeling very tired all of a sudden. "...You need to pee or something?"

"Nope."

"Then why'd you..."

"Dunno. I just wound up here."

Kiera sighed and shook her head. "So you weren't kidding. When you said that thing about why you're always here when I'm upset."

"Wow, you actually admitted _willingly_ that you're upset this time?"

"Considering you've caught me red-handed, I figured I shouldn't even bother, right?"

"Right. So tell me what's wrong."

"I can't."

Sora groaned and for a second he looked like he wanted to punch something. Preferrably a wall, by the looks of it. "Will you PLEASE stop saying that? For the last...what, week now? You've been saying stuff like that. 'I can't tell you, Sora.' 'You'll never forgive me if I tell you, Sora.' 'This is something I've gotta handle on my own, Sora.' 'It's an INNER BATTLE, Sora, YOU'RE NOT INVITED!' Just shut up with that already! If you think I'm gonna sit here totally clueless and let you do whatever the hell this is about all on your own, you don't know me at all. You're my Gatekeeper, aren't ya? I gotta look after you, too, you know. And...since WHEN IN THE HELL have I let someone else work out their own problems, ANYWAY?" he fumed, almost turning red from all the yelling.

She stared at him in disbelief, the anger and frustration coming off him in waves. "...Talk to me, Kiera," he practically begged, stepping a little closer. She stared at him for about three seconds before bursting into tears.

And we mean TEARS. Full-out, soak-your-shirt tears, gut-wrenching sobs included. Sora shut the door carefully before inching even closer, then closer, and closer still, sitting on his knees to her left. Kiera had officially given up. At this point, she simply didn't give a damn if he hated her forever after she explained it all. To show he'd won, she leaned against him, burying her face against his chest once he put an arm around her.

"I'm sorry," she managed to get out, and she really meant it. "I'm sorry I tried to kill you...!"

"...What're you talking about?" he asked carefully, currently stroking her wet hair comfortingly. She sighed, making herself hiccup. "Well, uh...It's a bit of a long story."

"We have time."

"I was so damn afraid you'd say that," she groaned, making them both laugh. Still crying, she took a couple breaths before pulling away from him and explaining everything.

"Well, uh, it started about when I had that vision about Kairi. My dad was there, and..."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FORTY****MINUTES LATER...**_

"...And then I don't have any clue what happened, I just remember summoning ice cream and OJ, and this knife showed up instead of a spoon to eat my ice cream with, and the next thing I know I'm lunging at you. ...I tried to kill you. I'm going crazy, absolutely crazy! I fought with myself and almost lost, do you have any idea how _insane_ that sounds? How horribly weak that makes me feel? And I almost killed someone! ...Not just anyone – I almost killed you. Like it was no big deal. That's _not_ normal. The only logical explanation is that I'm just like those psycho killers you hear about on the news. Like the mom that kills her kids so that they'll all be together when she committs suicide. Or the guy that kidnaps and murders innocent girls because he grew up in an abusive environment and that's his form of love. Or even that Norman Bates guy from Psycho, or Jason Voorhees's mom from the very first Friday The Thirteenth; they talk to their mom and son, respectively. Both of which are dead. And the deceased tell them both to kill. My mind tells _me_ to kill _you_. Not anyone else, though...just you...But that could change at the drop of a hat! And...I...I don't..."

She trailed off, not able to finish her sentence because she knew how much he'd hate that she even suggested it.

"...I don't think I can be around you anymore. Around anybody. Not if as soon as I get closer to them all I can think about is killing them. ...I don't _want_ to leave, y'know. I like being around y – ...people. But my mind just can't take it. My sanity's at stake here. ...You understand, right?" she asked, not looking up from her knees. She'd been staring at her drawn-up knees and picking at the towel covering them ever since she started explaining.

When he didn't answer, she sighed. "Alright, either you're there or I'm just talking to myself. Which one is it, huh?"

"Kiera..."

"I frigging knew it. As soon as I look up, you're gonna widen your eyes all innocent-like and be all 'But Kiera, you're my Gatekeeper! We're supposed to stick together, aren't we?' Well, yes Sora, we are. But you were dumb enough to get yourself a Gatekeeper that's a clinically insane psychopath. Sorry."

He didn't answer right away, and she rolled her eyes. "Yep. Silent treatment. Well, Sora, I can always just teleport myself to another room, so either way I _totally_ _win_ this situa –"

She cut herself off in surprise as she heard Sora shifting positions right before he hugged her. Kiera was obviously caught off-guard, but found that her arms were noticeably less surprised since they were already around him. "...Sora –"

"You're not going _anywhere_. And you're sure as hell not gonna shut yourself up away from everybody if you DO go somewhere. I don't care if you've come close to killing me, and I couldn't care less what your dad wants. I could kick both his ass _and _yours with one hand behind my back, maybe even both hands. So I can stop you when you try to kill me, and I can teach him a lesson if he even _thinks_ about hurting you."

"Sora, I don't think you really get it. I'm a _psychopath_. Didn't I make that clear? Psychopaths are freakishly strong, it's a scientific fact!"

"Kiera, you're not scaring me. You might as well just stop even bothering."

"...Sora, why're you so hellbent on this?" she wondered.

"Moron, you're my friend. I'm not gonna leave you hanging when you need me."

"I _don't_ need you. Isn't that kinda obvious since I'm trying to _kill_ you?" she asked with a sweatdrop.

"...Kiera?"

"Huh?"

"Just shut up. I'm not letting you go, you're staying, we're both gonna be alive at the end of all this, thank you, goodbye, the end."

That made her smile despite herself, and she sniffled a little. "Hey. ...Sora?"

"What _now_?"

"...Thank you," she said simply, hugging him tighter and pretending for his sake not to notice how close his hands were to her ass at the moment. She heard him chuckle as one of his hands ran up to her neck, hugging her to him and making it even harder for her if she wanted to pull away.

...But to be honest, like hell she wanted to.

Suddenly, she felt something tugging in her chest. He must've felt it too judging by the noise of surprise he made. Her scalp tingled, and for a split second, she could've sworn she heard not only _her _heart beating, but _his _too.

Then it was gone, almost as if it had never happened. "...Sora, did you..."

"Just feel that? Yeah."

"What the hell was that?"

"I have no clue, but I'm kinda scared to move." Kiera nodded in agreement, but then her temple throbbed. "The hand on my lower back moved lower JUST FINE!" she accused, making that hand shoot all the way up to her upper back. "S-Sorry, that wasn't what I meant!"

"Uh-huh. Sora, I'll let it slide just this once, _just _'cause I now tolerate you a little more than I did before."

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE****...**_

"...What was that? WHAT was THAT? WHAT THE _HELL _DID SHE JUST DO?" Dr. Sage demanded to know, pounding the table with his fist for emphasis as the tube representing Kiera's genetics fizzled before dying out.

Axel started laughing, making the doctor look up from the tube to glare at him. "You know?"

He nodded. "Oh, _I know_. Think about it, Doc. Didya _really _think her and Sora weren't connected on some higher level than you thought? And judging by what just happened, I'd say their hearts just touched."

Dr. Sage stared at him dully. "...Naw, seriously."

Axel shook his head quickly, Dr. Sage's accent throwing him off again. "Seriously. Don't you get it at ALL? Their connection's all got to do with their _hearts_, and that can easily trump some lousy old _genetics_. ...At least, as far as I know. So if one heart's hurting, the other'll do all it can to fix it. It has no choice. So, _ergo_, Kiera's Killer Gene's as good as gone. Good try, though, Doctor."

Axel summoned a portal and shook his head again, chuckling as Dr. Sage threw a bit of a fit. He didn't turn around after hearing crashing noises amidst all the yelling and cursing. "...He's lost it _now_, for sure."

_**

* * *

**_

_**MEANWHILE****...**_

They headed to Twilight Town, like Kiera suggested. They were walking through the station when Goofy suddenly said, "Hey! I think we're almost there!"

The other three jumped and turned to look at him. "Huh?"

"Gawrsh, aren't we here because of the picture?" he asked, digging through his pocket. "Look! I'll show ya!"

He showed them the photo of Pence, Hayner, Olette, and Roxas. _...Roxas... _That name made a shiver run up and down her spine, and she had no idea why, but she just shrugged it off and blamed it on that weird incident her and Sora had had in the bathroom.

_Hehehe...That would sound sooo perverted if you had no idea what I'm talking about...!_

Ever since that incident, though, she'd felt...lighter. Like a weight had been shoved off her chest. And her head wasn't throbbing anymore. She felt calm, too, where she had been on edge and constantly at risk of being pissed beyond belief.

It felt nice.

"Yeah, you're right!" Donald exclaimed, making Kiera snap out of her thoughts with a jolt. "Well then, let's go find that mansion!" Goofy suggested.

"Yeah!" Sora agreed. Kiera sweatdropped, taking the picture. "You guys...We already know where this is!"

"...We do?"

"Yeah, it's where y'all woke up or whatever. And this is where I met y'all. I remember because of that gate, it was huge. ...Dontchya remember?"

The three struck their own respective Thinking Poses she'd gotten so used to, and Sora was the first to remember. "Oh, you're right!" he announced, holding up a finger importantly for emphasis.

"I tend to be."

"Well, then, let's go!" Sora announced, walking ahead of her. "Jeez, Kiera, slowing us all down..."

Her temple throbbed, and Goofy and Donald snickered as she mimicked Sora in a rather girly fashion, swaying her hips exaggeratedly before running – no, prancing – after him. "Yeah, Kiera, stop slowing us dooo-oooown!" she exclaimed in a very low voice.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Is that supposed to be me?"

"Like _you _could do better!"

"Gimme a second," he said as a few Heartless appeared. Kiera summoned a spear and launched it, killing all three within moments of each other. "Go ahead. Make my day."

Sora forced his spikes to make two big spikes near the top of his head, just like hers, before cocking his hip in a rather girly fashion and twirling some of his hair on his finger. "Aww, gee, you guys, we've BEEN to this mansion before. Dontchya rem-EMMM-ber? Silly boys," he said in an exaggerated Southern Belle voice, completing his sentence with a high-pitched giggle.

Goofy and Donald watched as Kiera's temple throbbed. "I do NOT sound like that!"

"I do NAWWWT sound like thaa-aayt!" he mimicked, scrunching his nose up and pouting. _Just _like she did.

"Oh yeah? Well, how 'bout THIS!"

Kiera messed up her hair as much as possible before puffing out her chest and walking around like a macho man. "Oh look at me, I'm Sora The Magnificent! I'm tough as nails. I'm swift – like the wind, baby, the WIND! My hair always defies gravity, I have a badass Keyblade, and I've come here to tear this shit UP! And I can do it, too. I can do it _aaaalll _by myself, except for when there's PRINCE ERIC'S PENDANT LESS THAN THREE FEET AWAY AND YOU NEED _KIERA _TO _SUMMON _IT!"

"Oh, not THAT again," he muttered with an eyeroll. "Fine, you wanna do this? I accept your challenge, Kiera, I ACCEPT."

He made his hair like hers again before grabbing some abandoned balloons and stuffing them in his shirt. He then puffed his chest out and flipped his hair every five seconds. "Oh hiya! I'm Kiera – Kiera Reilly Sage, to be exact. I'm all that 'cause I can summon anything I want! Even though Sora managed to do _aaaaall _this without me a good year before he met me, I'm still about a hundred percent sure he'd be lost without me. In fact, I'm a HUUUUGE help! I mean, all I do just about is make him fall on his ass whenever I want! Did I mention I'm innn-SAAAANELY jealous of Kairi?" he rattled off in his Southern Belle impersonation.

Steam blew out of her ears at that one, but then she grinned. "Oh, you know, maybe you're right. Perhaps I _aaaam _jealous of Kairi. Hmmm...Maybe I can demonstrate WHY THAT MIGHT BE!" she announced, summoning a pink wig, two water balloons filled with pudding, and a butt cushion. "Excuse me, kiddies, one moment," she said cheerfully as she summoned a curtain to change behind.

She stuffed the butt cushion in her pants, the pudding balloons inside her bra, and stuffed her hair into a bun underneath the wig.

Kiera then dramatically flung back the curtain, swaying her hips almost more exaggeratedly than Sora had. "Hi there. I'm Kairi. And I'm _aaaaalll _that 'cause _I _have pink _hair_! Nevermind the fact that redheads are so much more fun to be around with their short fuses and smartness and whatnot, everyone comes running when I'M in trouble! In fact, I don't have to do _much _to get them running. All I have to do is scream loud enough! That's just about it. Not to mention I have a short skirt and low-cut shirt; I'm always reeeaaal surprised that I get so much unwanted ATTENTION! Oh, and when I get older, my plan is to have lots of kids and eat bonbons. Did I mention I'm the classic Damsel In Distress case?" she asked, using an innocent voice throughout the whole thing. She widened her eyes before giggling and waving them off. "Oh, silly me, I forget things _sooooo _much! Must be my pink hair!"

Donald and Goofy were trying their best not to laugh for Sora's sake, but then once she started prancing around, they lost it. "TRALALALALAAAAA! OH NO, A HEARTLESS! WHAT-_EVER _SHALL I _DO_? SORAAA, SAVE MEEEE, AHHHHHH!" she exclaimed with false terror, running like a drunk moron before making herself trip.

"Ohhhh NO, lookie THERE! I've twisted my ankle! OH WHERE, OH _WHERE_, IS MY HERO? SOMEONE _HELP _MEEEEEE!"

Sora rolled his eyes as she continued to wail dramatically, his hair spiking back to normal with rather loud _**SPROING **_noises. "Okay, fine, you win. ...If you promise to just shut up for a little while. My head hurts now."

Kiera made all her props disappear, beaming at him. "It's a deal."

And with that, they continued on their way, Donald and Goofy still laughing and guffawing at the whole thing.

* * *

When they got to the mansion (after going through some creepy woods that made her skin crawl), they saw Hayner, Pence, and Olette sprawled out on the ground.

"Holy crap!" Kiera exclaimed, crouching down between Hayner and Pence. "Hey! Are you alright?" Sora asked Hayner as Kiera shook him gently. He came to, and she helped him sit up. "Whoa, easy," she said quickly as he swayed a little. In the end, he just plopped flat on his ass.

"What happened?" Sora asked.

"We came here looking for Kairi. Then those white things attacked us..."

"You gotta be careful!" Donald warned.

"Yeah, you guys didn't have to go and do that," Sora added.

Hayner stood up defenseively. "Of course we did! Kairi's _our _friend, too, you know!" Kiera rolled her eyes as Sora paused before shrugging. "I guess you're right. I...never thought of it like that before."

_Men and pink hair, I just don't get it...!_

"Word is, this place gets a _looot _of strange visitors," Hayner commented, looking at the mansion. Olette nodded, her and Pence having been revived by Kiera and Goofy. "We thought that this place might be the gateway to some kind of alternate Twilight Town."

"What do you mean, alternate Twilight Town?" Sora asked.

"Hey Goofy, can we see that crystal of yours?" Pence asked suddenly, and Goofy nodded before pulling it and the pouch out of his pocket. "I made that pouch myself, and I still have it," Olette explained. "So there shouldn't be two of them here."

"And this is the trophy Seifer gave you," Hayner added, holding up the aforementioned trophy. Kiera had to wonder where the hell he had pulled that out from, but then she noticed that the crystals were still on it. "You left it behind, remember?"

"It's the only one of its kind," Pence added. "Same for the crystals – red, blue, yellow, green. Only one of each color. And you still have them!"

"By jove, he's right," Kiera said in disbelief, beyond confused now.

"So where'd you get it?" Hayner asked. Sora struck a Thinking Pose, while Kiera was just beyond thought at the moment. "Um...The pouch is from the King."

"When he gave us munny for the train ride, he gave us the crystal too," Goofy added. Kiera furrowed her brows. "Really? I don't remember seeing Mickey that soon..."

"That was before you found us at the station," Sora explained, and she nodded slowly. "Ohhh, got it."

"But then...where did the KING get it?"

"See? There's gotta be another town like this one. That would explain how the King got that pouch and the crystal," Hayner declared. "Everything makes sense."

The other four looked at each other, all thinking the same thing. "...It does?" they asked in unison, Kiera scratching her head in confusion.

The three Twilight Town friends sweatdropped. "That other town must be where whatever's missing from here went!" Pence explained.

"Like Kairi," Olette added.

"_I _get it!" Sora announced, making Kiera sweatdrop. "What, was Kairi the magical word for ya or something?" He opened his mouth to shoot something back right as a Dusk appeared behind them. It was followed by another Dusk, and it launched into the air, but King Mickey struck it dead before Kiera could even decide on what to summon. "Watch out!" he exclaimed.

While the others lunged into battle, Kiera stayed with Hayner, Pence, and Olette to make sure no Dusks tried anything sneaky.

She ended up summoning a stick and stabbing one of them with it after hitting it on the head repeatedly. "Now THAT'S what I call being beat by an Ugly Stick!" Kiera announced, making Sora and the three friends chuckle despite themselves.

Mickey and Donald destroyed the last Dusk, and they all exchanged a serious look with the aforementioned King. "I've got something to tell ya. I know where Ansem is – Ansem the Wise! The _real _Ansem! He snuck into Organization XIII's stronghold."

"And WE figured out where Kairi is. I'm pretty sure we're right," Sora replied.

"But why'd you all come here?"

"Someone gave us a clue."

"Who?"

"Well, Your Majesty, Sora thinks it mighta been Riku," Goofy explained.

"It's just a feeling I had."

"Welp, if that's what ya think, then it's probably right," Mickey commented.

"So...Riku's okay!" he exclaimed happily.

"If that's what ya think..." Mickey said, making Kiera sigh heavily. _Sora's not gonna like that answer..._

Sure enough, Sora crossed his arms defiantly. "I've waited long enough, Your Majesty! Tell me what you know!"

"It's not for me to say!" he said, turning away.

"But, Your Majesty...Why?"

"Because I made a promise to Riku," he announced firmly, making Kiera sweatdrop. "But...that just..."

"So he's _okay_! I can see him again!" Sora shouted, jumping with joy and grinning like a moron. Kiera shook her head as Mickey continued to cover his mouth in an "I SOOO Shouldn't Have Said That" kind of way. "...You should just facepalm yourself for that, Your Majesty. Oh, wait, I already got you covered. FACEPALM," she commented dully as she facepalmed herself.

"Huh? Who's Riku?" Hayner asked.

"My best friend," Sora replied, turning to look at them.

"That's IT!" Pence declared. "Um...WHAT'S it?" Kiera asked.

"Your Majesty, you got that pouch from Riku, didn't you?" Olette asked, bending her knees a little due to Mickey's height. "And you promised not to tell, right?"

"Gosh, guys..."

"That's enough!" Donald quacked, making Kiera jump. "Yeah, let's get going!" Sora said somewhat cheerfully. Kiera couldn't help but smile, still feeling his happiness going strong. "Kairi! Riku! We're on our way!"

* * *

Once inside, they looked around the expansive mansion's main room. "There's gotta be a computer _somewhere_..." Mickey commented thoughtfully.

Kiera's head hurt a little as she tried hard to think back. "A computer?" Pence repeated. "Do you think it's connected to that other Twilight Town?"

"It might be. And there _should _be a way to the Realm of Darkness in there."

"Riku told you that, _didn't _he!" Sora exclaimed, making Mickey sigh. "Please, Sora. I made a promise."

"Aha! I _knew_ it!" he accused, making everyone sigh as they wondered how long this would continue.

Kiera's temple throbbed. "Sora, SIT!"

_**THUD.**_

"...Dammit, what was that for?"

"For annoying me, I'm trying to think," she said distractedly, rubbing her temple as she closed her eyes. "I think...I _think _I remember waking up in there. A room with a computer. Lots of them. ...I just don't remember where it was..."

"Take your time, Kiera, we haven't got any better ideas," King Mickey said cheerfully. She made a pair of walking legs with her fingers while her eyes were closed, trying to remember which rooms she walked out of after meeting Sora in that room.

After a few moments of thought, her eyes snapped open and she pointed upstairs. "THERE! Upstairs, to the far right. It's a...I think it's a library. There's a door below the ground, though, I remember it."

"Great job, let's go!" King Mickey announced as they took off in that direction. Sure enough, there was a lower level to the floor that looked rather technological, and Kiera and Sora exchanged a fistbump. "Nice one."

"I try."

Inside, there was indeed quite a few computers. "_Now _I remember...I thought I had teleported to an '80s nerd's basement!" she said with a laugh, ignoring the dull headache being back in this room gave. _Though...Weren't the computers broken? Oh well, guess I just imagined that part._

"There!" Mickey exclaimed, pointing to one set-up system of computers in particular. "We found it!" Sora cheered before adding quickly after seeing her expression, "Thanks to _Kiera_, of course!"

"How does it work?"

Kiera grinned. "...I've got this. I feel like such an expert today!" she exclaimed happily, hopping into the chair and typing away.

Less than thirty seconds later, her face fell. "...Crap."

"What?"

"I need a password. Any ideas from the Peanut Gallery before I try and blindly hack it?" she asked hopefully, fingers poised above the keys.

"Well, we only got this photo..."

"Ah! AND the salty-sweet ice cream bar!" Donald suddenly exclaimed.

"Yeah, the one Donald ate up."

"It was in the box right next to the photo," Goofy added.

"That's it!" Mickey exclaimed. "Ansem the Wise loved ice cream!" Kiera frowned at that. _I don't like how he talks about him in past-tense..._

"Alright, what's the flavor?" Kiera asked, ready to type.

"...Sea-salt ice cream," Sora said after a moment of thought, and she nodded before typing it into the database in record time, as usual.

"We're in!" she announced, right before a beam of electricity shot out straight down from a corner of the room.

"Let's go," Sora suggested.

"We'll be here to hold down the fort," Hayner replied.

"Say hello to Kairi for us," Olette said cheerfully.

"You bet!" Sora replied. "...If Kiera doesn't kill her first," he mumbled.

"WHAT WAS THAT, SORA?"

"Nothing, Kiera, not a thing!" he said cheerfully as he pulled her into the beam with him and the other three. "HEY!"

And just like that, they were zapped.

* * *

Upon arrival, it looked almost exactly the same. "Are we in the same place?" Sora asked. Kiera shook her head. "Naw, the other three aren't here."

"Look!" Donald exclaimed suddenly, pointing to some smashed computers. _Okay, there really ARE smashed computers! But...Didn't I wake up in the OTHER mansion? In Twilight Town?_

"Weird."

"What is?"

She waved Sora off. "Nothing, just...Well, something. I think THIS is the room we all met in. I think I remember computers smashed in the corner."

He nodded. "Maybe you're right. Either way, this is the other Twilight Town. Roxas's Twilight Town." Kiera got another huge shiver up and down her spine when he said that, and she could practically see Roxas in front of her, smashing the computers to bits.

"And he was NOT happy," she muttered. Sora nodded in agreement, both of them looking rather thoughtful.

Mickey was the one to break the silence. "There's gotta be an entrance to the Realm of Darkness somewhere around here! Let's go check it out."

They all nodded and ran after the King. They headed into the basement hall to find a floating, green-glowing orb. "...This is it," Sora declared.

Kiera wasn't exactly sure just what "it" was, but if Sora's gut told him to go through it, she trusted it.

They went through and ended up in a place much like the portal Kairi, Pluto, and Kiera herself had gone through.

"What _is _this place?" Sora asked.

"Well, which way should we go?" Donald asked.

Sora ran forward just a little. "Riku! Kairi!" he called out. A handful of Dusks were the ones to answer him, and Kiera sighed before summoning her Ugly Stick. "Way to go, Key Boy."

* * *

_**THREE****MINUTES LATER...**_

"It's no use!" Sora declared after fighting the Nobodies and still having a ton surrounding him and the others.

"Don't stop moving, or the darkness will overtake you!" Axel called out, making Kiera tense as her shoulder burned. "Especially you, Kiera The Self-Proclaimed Psychopath!" he added as he jumped down in front of them and started to hold off the enemy.

"Get goin'!"

"What? Why?" Sora shouted.

"Don't ask WHY, you moron, just go!" Axel shouted back right before getting glomped by a random Nobody.

Sora looked at Kiera.

Kiera looked at Sora.

She sighed. "Riii-iight." They both attacked the Nobodies around Axel as he tried to get back up. "You okay?" Sora asked with genuine concern, amazing Kiera.

Not long ago, he had hated the guy more-or-less. _Oh, how quickly things change... _"I kidnapped Kairi, but she got away from me."

Kiera abruptly stopped bashing in a Nobody's head to gape at him, temple throbbing. "Okay. Wait. Waaaait...WAIT. YOU'RE TELLING _ME_...That a Nobody with the ability to CONTROL GODDAMN FIRE...And with BADASS MOVES...lost a TEENAGE, EIGHTY-POUND GIRL who does nothing but complain? ARE YOU KIDDING ME. What, did she say she had to use the bathroom and you let her? And then she snuck off? I mean, what the HELL –"

Axel's temple throbbing cut her off. "I'd rather not answer that right now. Either way, after that, Saix caught her. He's a member of Organization XIII. Saix. Got it memorized? Now go save her!"

A portal opened up, and out flew a Nobody. Sora turned around and killed it with one swing. "Leave us ALONE already!" he growled, standing up beside Kiera.

She looked to her left as Axel stood there. "So. You said that you've been watching me all this time, huh? Is that true?"

He smirked. "Maaybe. ...Don't flatter yourself. Your hair's too red for me, Sage." She smirked back before fighting the Nobodies alongside them both.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

The three jumped back and ended up back-to-back-to-back, sizing up the huge cluster of Nobodies surrounding them. "Man...I think I liked it better when they were on MY side," Axel commented.

"Feeling a little...regret?" Sora asked teasingly.

"Nah...I can handle these punks. Heh...Watch this!" He jumped away from them both before engulfing himself in flames. "Huuuuunnnnn-HYAH!" he shouted, smoke and fire and sizzles exploding around him.

Kiera and Sora covered their eyes with their arms, looking around for Axel when the smoke cleared. They found him.

"Shit, no!" Kiera cried out, running to his side at the same time Sora did. They crouched on opposite sides of the fallen Nobody. "You're...fading away..." Sora remarked.

"Well...That's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack," Axel said rather matter-of-factly. His head lolled over to look at Kiera. "...Don't you dare try that, ya hear? About your whole being...Ya know what I mean?" He chuckled. "Not that Nobodies actually HAVE beings...right? Anyway, I digress. Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot...Sorry for what I did to her."

"When we find her, you can tell her that yourself!" Sora replied.

"Think I'll pass. My heart just...wouldn't be in it, y'know? Haven't got one." And with that, he started laughing.

"Axel...What were you trying to do?" Sora asked, looking more sad by the minute. She could feel it growing, too, which wasn't much of a surprise to her anymore.

"I wanted to see Roxas. He...was the only one I liked...He made me feel...like I had a heart. It's kind of...funny...You make me feel...the same...Kairi's in the castle dungeon. Now go!" he said, raising a shaky hand to open a portal.

"Oh, and Kiera...thanks for...opening your heart to him. ...It was great to see your...your dad so pissed off."

He started laughing, and she couldn't help but smile just a little. "Thanks, Axel. For helping. And...and everything else...and...and stuff..."

She sniffled a little as he started to fade away completely, and it made him laugh again. "...Jeez, Kiera, he...makes you such...such a girl these days..."

And with that, he was gone completely. "Axel..." Sora muttered sadly. Kiera sniffled again, nodding in agreement. He stood up and squeezed her shoulder before pulling her up by her hand. "Better get going."

"Yeah."

When they went through the portal, they saw Mickey a little ways off. He was looking up at something. They went over to him, and were joined by Donald and Goofy. Mickey looked worried and maybe even a little pissed. Kiera followed his gaze and saw a heart-shaped moon, in front of which was a silhoutted castle. "Ahhh..." Donald said in awe and recognition all at once.

"...Axel said Kairi's in the dungeon," Sora informed Mickey, who nodded. "Then we better find a way to get to that castle!"

"Kiera, could you –"

"No," Mickey answered for her, making them both jump and look at him. Mickey shook his head. "Teleporting all of us there would be too draining for her, Sora. We're all gonna need as much strength as possible in there..."

Kiera sighed and drooped. "Your Majesty, no offense, but that makes me wanna just shoot myself in the face and get it over with...You're implying it's worse than all the OTHER stuff I've dealt with thus far!"

King Mickey chuckled and patted her waist, the tallest thing he could reach. "You'll be fine, Kiera."

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVENTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

They all looked up from their current quest of finding a way into the castle to watch as thunder rumbled and lightning crackled above them, around the heart-shaped moon. "Huh...That doesn't look very promising..." Kiera muttered.

"Agreed," Sora replied as they walked forward. "Sora, Kiera!" Donald called out, making them turn around. "Donald! Goofy!" Sora exclaimed; they were currently being threatened by two Heartless that looked...almost like...sentries.

Kiera ran forward to help them, but then she realized they and the Heartless were frozen. "What the HELL...?" she wondered, then whirled around when she heard the familiar sound of a black mass being summoned.

She clutched her shoulder out of habit, but realized her shoulder didn't hurt. For some reason, this Nobody had a calming effect on her if anything.

"A Keyblade!" Sora exclaimed as the Nobody summoned said Keyblade. Sora summoned his, and Kiera summoned an aluminum bat with spikes sticking out of it. She watched anxiously as Sora and the hooded figure crossed blades, trying to shove the other's blade off. Before she could understand what the hell was going on, she was falling.

They fell onto stained-glass ground, and she realized Sora was a picture on it. Sora and the figure continued to cross blades. "Who are _you_?" Sora asked.

"Someone from the dark," was his cryptic reply.

They flew to opposite ends of the circular platform, while Kiera watched anxiously and helplessly from the sidelines. She wasn't sure just how to interfere at the moment; something told her this was a fight Sora was meant to fight alone.

Plus, she'd feel like she cheated if she attacked the figure while he was focused on Sora. "You can't be...Riku?" Sora stated-slash-asked.

"Riku? ...I defeated a Riku once."

"You WHAT?"

"Tell me. Tell me why he picked YOU?" the figure asked, his Keyblade scraping against the glass as he ran for Sora. _**Who **picked Sora? What's he talking about?_

They fought some more, in mid-air, and the figure stayed suspended while Sora landed. "...I see. That's why," he commented before falling back down to the platform.

Kiera wanted to try and see whatever it was the figure saw, but then she noticed Sora's balance was a little off, and the next thing she knew he was on the ground and his Keyblade was knocked out of his hand.

Sora ran for it, but then the figure had it in his grip. Sora summoned it back to himself, and the figure seemed surprised by this. "WHAT?"

The next thing they knew, he was crouching, and the hood was off. He was facing Kiera, and she stared at him with wide eyes. "...You...I..."

He nodded at her. "...You make a good Gatekeeper." He then turned to look at Sora. "...And you...You make a good other." They were then surrounded by white light, and the next thing she knew she was back with Sora in the city they'd been roaming.

* * *

"You make a good other..." Sora repeated. He glanced at Kiera. "...What do you think that means?" She shrugged, a bit speechless herself. "Are you two okay?" Donald asked, him and Goofy walking over to them. "What...just happened?"

"Gawrsh, I dunno. You two just _disappeared_. Then me and Donald had to fight some Nobodies."

"Oh. ...He said...he defeated Riku..."

"Who said that?" Donald asked.

"The guy in the black coat."

"Roxas," Kiera whispered to herself. "What was that?" She shook her head at Sora's question. "Just...thinking out loud."

"But _nobody _could defeat Riku!" Donald pointed out.

"Y...Yeah. You're right!"

"A black coat means Organization XIII," Goofy pointed out. "He musta been tryin' to trick ya!"

"Yeah, that must be why we didn't see him!" Donald added.

"Huh? Uh...Uh-huh."

"You two must be real tired..."

"C'mon. Let's just find a way to get into the castle!" Goofy suggested. He and Donald started walking, but Kiera and Sora exchanged a look. "...Hey...Back there, you looked like you knew that guy. ...Did you?" he asked suddenly.

Kiera shook her head. "No. ...Not really. I just..._felt _like I did. Or maybe that I should."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FORTY-SEVEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

They slowed their pace to a slow walk as they came to a huge cliff. "...Dead end?" Sora asked no one in particular.

"Gee, Sora, my guess would be yes," Kiera replied, making him stick his tongue out at her.

"There's gotta be another path somewhere," Mickey commented, and they started looking around for said entrance. After a few moments, Kiera suddenly huffed and turned to look at Sora, hands on her hips. "Sora."

"Yeah?"

"Since I've done most of the magical summoning and teleporting so far, why don't YOU try some? See if you can make some kind of...of...I dunno, bridge or something."

He opened his mouth to shoot back some smart-ass comment, but then he seemed to think about it. "Huh...Actually, I think I might be able to do that!"

He raised his Keyblade and did a maneuver much like locking and unlocking a path, only it made what did indeed look like a bridge to the castle's entrance. "Kairi...We're almost there."

Kiera smiled cheerfully. "Yay! We're finally finding your beloved Kairi! ...Now you'll shut the hell up about it."


	44. Kairi, Riku, & The Battle of the Sages!

Me: Back!

Kiera and Sora: (Looking rather bored, waving pennants that say "Updating FOR THE WIN!") Yaaaay.

Me: And the two unworthy characters over there get PRESENTS!

Kiera and Sora: (Cheer enthusiastically) YAAAAAY!

Me: (Eyeroll) Yeah, cheer away. Oh, and sorry that the author's note's not in bold or anything, the document editor was being stupid. -_-+ Well, ANYWAY, The first set's from Keariel. AHEM:

"Now then, chickens, I couldn't think of any imaginative preasents for ya, but I have some cookies. :) and, uh, a giant cupcake mould. For the next time you make a cake Kiera; cause cuppy cakes are cute. ;)

Lovely authoress, I just want to re-inforce your awesomeness, and say that if I'm getting annoying, all ya have to do is say. I have a habit of getting over enthusiastic and babbling...heh. ^^; *hugs* can't wait for the next chapter!

Keariel

xxx

(Ps ...was it wrong that I was rooting for Roxas, EVEN THOUGH i knew he was gonna be beaten? eh...you can never give up hope. :) )"

Kiera: COOKIES! ...Hmm...cupcake mold...for CUPCAKES... (Presses fingers together thoughtfully)

Sora: (Slowly and carefully slides cookie out of her hand before eating it as quietly as possible)

Me: And to answer your questions, Keariel, rooting for Roxas is DEFINITELY not wrong. ...I did the same thing for Axel. xD And of course you're not annoying! ...Only loyal flamers get annoying. xDD

Kiera: Can we keep going with the presents now?

Me: Oh! Right! This next set's from Morcelink. (Skims note before ripping off part of it, whistling innocently) ANYWAY, we have cakes! AHEM:

"One(45ft.) has all the organization memebers on it, the other(109ft.) has me, you, Sora, Kiera, Ichigo, Rukia, Peyton, Roxas, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, and finally, King Mickey...oh, and a 50 dollar gift card to any shopping center and a 1000 ways to get back at Sora or Ichigo kit. ENJOYYYY!:D"

Kiera and Sora: Oooooooh! (Eyeing cakes lovingly)

Me: DON'T eat that yet. We haveta take a picture later before you eat it. Well, anyway, the next set's from BeautifulShadowsKeeper, or BST for short.

Kiera: Hehehehehe, that sounds a lot like BLT! (Stomach growls extremely loud)

Me and Sora: (Sweatdrop)

Kiera: (Glares at stomach) Hey, SHUT UP, we just ate!

Me and Sora: 0_0

Me: Erm...anyway. AHEM:

PRESENTS-

Kiera-Hows the cookies? I give you a Kairi, Sora, and Organization XIII cosplay costumes, have fun with them! Also, a voodoo doll that changes into whoever you're pissed at at the moment. You are sooo kickbutt (I don't swear), and here's sour skittles.

Sora-kareoke! all awesome songs are on it. How's the War Panda? Are taking care of it? If not, :-)... Anyways, you're awesome! Starburst for you and a PSP! Have fun w/ it.

Authoress-you. Are. EPIC! You get a huge shiny trophy, lots of confetti, and a "Manslator", so you can figure out what the heck men mean. You get chocolate, a dinosaur, and a ticket to come to Hawaii! Come visit me!

Keep writing!

Adios!

Over and out.

-BSK

Kiera: Oh, the cookies are ALWAYS AWESOME! ...Wait, what? Costumes? A KAIRI AND SORA COSTUME? (Laughs maniacally) I shall open a new theatre! Bash Theatre! It'll be a place where I bash all these people that piss me off, and the clothes will all be donated since I nearly never have money, and it'll be...pure...AWESOMENESS!

Me: ...This won't end well. Erm, before we go on, I have two things to say. One, I apologize in advance if this fight between the Sages isn't as epic as you were hoping, but hopefully I did a pretty good job! My action scenes still need some work, but I've been told I'm getting better. Let's all pretend we agree with that, yes?

Kiera and Sora: (Wave pennants enthusiastically) YEEEEESSS!

Me: And now, I would like a moment of silence for John "Bad Dog" McCormack. He was a family friend of ours, and he passed away this Thursday. This chapp is dedicated in his memory, hopefully it's worthy for such a great man who brightened everyone's mornings on Rock 103. We love you, Bad Dog, but I'm glad my granddaddy was there to welcome you to heaven. You two try not to cause too much trouble, alright?

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

* * *

Once they were inside the castle, Sora looked around quickly. "Kairi! WHERE ARE YOU?" he called out to the ceiling, making Kiera clap a hand over his mouth and smack him upside the head. "Way to go, Sora, you're officially a certified village idiot!"

He licked her hand, making her jump back with a yelp. "Oh, how old are you, FIVE?"

"_SIX_, ACTUALLY, SIX!"

"Shhh, both of you! Remember where we are! This is their stronghold!" Mickey snapped, making them look at the ground like scorned puppies. "Sorry..."

"Wait! Your Majesty!" Donald called out as he ran off.

The others assumed battle stances, so Kiera did the same. "Company?" she asked.

"Company," Sora agreed.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIFTEEN****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Hey, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"In that place where ya'll fought and he called you his 'Other'. Your face was on the glass, along with our friends. Why?"

Sora shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've ended up there a lot, though. I think it has to do with who my heart's connected to or something. My close friends. Y'know?"

She nodded slowly, thinking, before suddenly getting a temple throb. "Wait...WAIT. HOW COME I WASN'T ON THERE?"

"W-Well, umm, I guess because they haven't, uh...been able to...accurately capture your beauty on the stained glass!" he explained with an anxious laugh.

Kiera narrowed her eyes, about to chew him out, but then she sweatdropped as Sora paused to hand over their synthesis materials to a Moogle. "Wait...Here we are in Castle Oblivion, the Organization's hangout...and they STILL have Moogles here? ...Moogles...Moogles must be Chinese, or at least a Chinese product. They're EVERYWHERE!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "You're such a drama queen."

"Why, because I use inflection?" she asked defensively.

"No, because you overreact to the stupidest things."

"You know you love me for it," she commented simply as they continued along their way. "If that helps ya sleep at night, Kiera, sure I do."

"Awww, Donald, didya hear that? He loves me!"

"What? No, I was just ki –"

"Oh, it's alright, Sora. I love me too."

"But that's NOT WHAT I – oh, what's the use?" he muttered dully, accepting his fate. Kiera grinned smugly. "I win. You lose. So...RAWR."

"Right back atchya."

"Sora, you've done quite well," a voice called out from above them. They looked up to see the guy with the Itachi-like scars on his nose standing at the top of what looked like either an elaborate platform or a throne.

"Where's Kairi?" Sora shouted up to him.

"Who knows? I expect she's catching up with her friend from the darkness."

"What do you mean?"

"She doesn't need you anymore."

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Sora asked him. Kiera nodded. "He's got a point, you know. Kairi's ALWAYS in need of help." Sora's temple throbbed at that, but he didn't comment.

"Well, you don't have to believe that...But you can believe _this_: Organization XIII has no further use for you. Just look there." He pointed outside the window, at the heart-shaped moon.

"Our Kingdom Hearts. Thanks to you, we've collected countless hearts... Can you hear their euphoria? Now, all they need is one more helping from the Keyblade bearer!"

He snapped his fingers, and a huge swarm of Heartless started appearing. "We gotta fight!" Donald exclaimed.

"But – Kingdom Hearts!" Sora protested.

"Sora!" a rather feminine voice called out. And it was NOT Kiera's. Sora turned around, as did Kiera, and they noticed Kairi on a balcony peering down at them. "Sora! It's really _you_!"

"Kairi!"

Kiera's temple throbbed. "Yeah, you guys, that's fucking fabulous, BUT WE HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS HERE!" As if on cue, a ton of Heartless doggie-piled Sora, and her temple throbbed even more.

"DAMMIT, KAIRI!" she shouted before summoning her spiky aluminum bat and flinging the Heartless off Sora. While she did so, she noticed Kairi jump down an admittedly-impressive distance to help Sora, only to get tackled herself.

Kiera rolled her eyes, deciding she'd help Sora first. "Sora –" Kairi called out before a guy in a black coat and with a rather orange-looking tan appeared, handing her an extremely girly-looking Keyblade. "Here. You take it."

Kiera pouted as Kairi took it. "This time...I'LL fight."

"...Now that _hardly_ seems fair...All of ya'll cheating with your Keyblades while poor Kiera uses a goddamn bat."

"Couldn't you summon something even _better_ than a Keyblade or aluminum bat?" Sora asked as she continued to pry Heartless off of him.

She shrugged. "It's the principle of the thing."

He grinned and shook his head. "You with your principles."

Kiera felt the burning in her shoulder lighten up a little, and she assumed the Itachi-Wannabe had left, because she heard Kairi talking to Spray-Tan.

Once she finally got Sora out from under the Heartless, he looked up and noticed Kairi and Spray-Tan fighting alongside each other. "What's going ON?" Sora wondered.

Kiera sighed. "Cool your jets, Turbo, your beloved's just fine."

Suddenly, a spear-like beam shot out and missed Kiera's shoe by mere inches. "Huh?" she wondered, tempted to pick it up but figuring that'd be a stupid move on her part. Thousands of other beams shot out, killing all the Heartless around her and Sora.

"Have you been a _goood _boy?"

"Show yourself!" Sora demanded.

Xigbar stepped out, making her shoulder burn worse. "Oh. Sounds like you _haven't_. Sora! Roxas!"

"Roxas? Hey, did he just call me Roxas?" Sora asked. Donald nodded, while Kiera rolled her eyes, gripping her bat tighter. "As if you didn't hear him."

"You've _really _put Organization XIII in a pickle. I guess that must be why the Keyblade chose you. But MAN, did it pick a dud this time. You don't look like you're _half_ the hero the others were."

"Are you done rambling?"

"Rambling! As _if_! All I'm trying to tell you, traitor, is that your time is up!" And with that, he summoned his weapons.

"Here he comes!"

He jumped down, flashing a shit-eating grin at them. Kiera summoned even longer spikes on her bat, flashing a shit-eating grin right back at him. "I'm soooo gonna enjoy this. Your surfer voice is pissing me off."

* * *

_**FORTY-ONE****MINUTES LATER...**_

After dodging a ton of attacks (and even using Limit a couple times), Kiera saw something she'd never seen Sora do before.

He spread his arms out suddenly and said "Give me strength!" as the air around him inverted itself a little. When it was over, he was...dark-looking. Almost...well, more than _almost_. He looked like a Heartless.

The worry must've been obvious on her face when she realized she couldn't do anything at the moment, because Goofy patted her shoulder. "He'll be just fine, Kiera! That there's just his Valor Form! When he does that, he uses our magic as help, so we can't do much until he's finished. It's never failed him, though."

She nodded quickly, watching his every move until she could move again. Although she had to admit, even though she hated when he did crap like that to make her all worried, he looked pretty damn impressive.

Finally, his Valor Form was spent, and they all ran to help him out. "Ahhh, back in the game – OW, DAMMIT!" she shouted as one of Xigbar's rays hit her. Sora cured her, and she was back in the game. Again.

Not long after, Xigbar finally fell to the ground in defeat. "Why did you call me Roxas?"

"Wouldn't _you _like to know..." he said with a laugh before disappearing completely.

"Good riddance," Kiera muttered with a scowl.

"Hey! Hold on!"

Donald tugged on Sora's arm. "Sora! It's Kairi!" Kiera's eye twitched just slightly as Kairi immediately became top priority. "Kairi, we're ON our way!" Sora announced to no one in particular.

Kiera sighed and shook her head, trying to catch up with him as he frigging sprinted for her. "Stupid pink hair...Causes me so much _work_!"

* * *

They made their way through roughly a bazillion Heartless until they finally got to where Kairi was. "Kairi, you were great!" Donald praised, looking expectantly at Kiera for some kind of reaction from his praise.

So she made a point of looking totally normal, which seemed to disappoint him. "Oh?" Kairi said in surprise, turning to look at them. She laughed a little, tossing her hair for whatever reason. Her and Sora walked towards each other, stopping when there was at _least _three feet between them, which Kiera to this day just can NOT figure out.

"You _are_ different, Kairi, but I'm just glad you're here!"

"You and Riku never came home, so I came looking for you."

"...I'm sorry," Sora started, but then Kairi glomped him. Sora seemed to not know exactly what to do, which made Kiera bite the inside of her lip to keep from giggling. "This is _real_..." Kairi said happily, and after a few moments, Sora hugged her too.

Kiera was surprised that his hands were so far up her back – now how was THAT fair. KIERA had to pretend not to notice his hand near HER ass the other day!

Dammit.

Donald was eyeing her again, so Kiera rolled her eyes and flipped him a rather special finger. That made him laugh until Sora suddenly shouted "Wait! Ansem! I mean, Xehanort's Heartless."

Kiera's eyes widened. "...Spray-Tan Guy...is ANSEM?" she wondered, looking to Donald and Goofy for confirmation.

They sweatdropped at her name for him, but nodded nonetheless. "Well then, who's Itachi Wannabe? The one with the slashes on his nose?" she asked, whispering in Goofy's ear.

"Oh, that's Saix," Goofy replied cheerfully. Rather loudly, too, so Kiera and Donald shushed him spastically.

Sora seemed to be resisting the urge to roll his eyes at them, but then he seemed to remember who he was talking to, and his tone was serious again. "I never thought for a second that I'd ever see YOU again. Just thinking about all the things you did makes me really mad. But... But you saved Kairi, right? I have to be grateful for that..."

_Yeah, 'cause **I **sure as hell ain't thankful for it. Well, not that I want her to **die**, but – _

"Thank you," Sora concluded. Spray-Tan started to walk away, but Kairi ran after him. "Wait, Riku! Don't go!"

"HUH?"

"WHAT?"

"Kairi, what did you just say?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"Riku," she repeated, and something about the way she turned to look at Sora reminded Kiera of a little girl holding her mom's hand and looking back at someone the mom told her not to talk to. Or maybe a person trying to talk someone out of jumping off a cliff, and Sora was the one interrupting.

Whatever.

"I'm no one – just a castaway from the darkness," Spray-Tan replied. Kiera sweatdropped. "...That sounds like something Riku would say."

"How would you know?" Kairi wondered, and Kiera didn't bother answering her. That would probably start a catfight due to the limitless number of smartass answers to that question, and now wasn't the time or place.

"Sora, come here, say something to him!" Kairi urged, forgetting about Kiera for the time being. Sora paused before walking over. She grabbed Sora's hand, then Spray-Tan's, aka Alleged Riku. "Here. You'll understand. ...Close your eyes."

Now all three of them had their hands joined, and Kiera assumed whatever he'd seen was pretty damn convincing. "Riku! It's Riku. Riku's here. I _looked _for you!" he said, collapsing. Kiera's chest hurt terribly just watching, and for a split second she was overwhelmed with the urge to run over and hug him. She actually moved to do so, but stopped herself just in time.

"You've got to pull yourself together, Sora," a rather pleasant voice told him.

"I looked _everywhere _for you!"

"I didn't _want _you to find me."

"But it was him that was helping us, wasn't it?" Goofy asked Kiera and Donald. "Giving us all those hints...it HAD to be him!"

"I was starting to worry you'd never figure it out," he commented. "Sora never did pick the brightest of friends."

"HEY! What do you mean by that?" Donald demanded to know. Kiera crossed her arms defiantly. "I don't classify myself as Sora's friend. Therefore your argument is invalid, Riku. So...YEAH."

"What, no 'Rawr'?" Sora asked.

Kiera shrugged, smiling a little. "I only use that for _you_."

Sora turned back to Riku, not in the best of moods. "Why didn't you _tell me_ you were okay?" he demanded.

"I told you; I didn't want to be found. Not like this...I couldn't. I fought with Ansem. With...Xehanort's Heartless. When it invaded my heart, I won. But in order to fight with the darkness, I had to become Ansem myself."

"Does...that mean you can't change back?" Kairi asked.

"This battle isn't over," was his reply. "And until it is, I still need the power of darkness."

"Then...let's finish it. And you're still Riku, no matter what!" Sora turned to look at Kiera, Donald, and Goofy. "Whadda ya say? Think we can handle one last rumble together?"

"Can YOU handle it, Sora?" Kiera asked.

"Depends. You gonna sit me?"

"Only if you do something incredibly stupid. So that means that the odds are roughly ninety-five percent in my favor."

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Donald cheered. "The King's waiting, you guys!"

* * *

_**LATER****...**_

Once outside, they noticed a greenish beam aiming towards the heart-shaped moon. "What's that?" Sora asked.

"It's the King and Diz – I mean, Ansem the Wise. They must be higher up. We better hurry."

They started walking, but then a ton of cards sprung up and separated Kiera and Sora from the rest of the group.

Then the guy that blew up their pirate ship appeared, smirking at them. "You!" the two shouted in unison.

"I'd rather skip the formalities," he replied. "Let's see if you and your Gatekeeper have improved any, shall we...?"

Kiera summoned her bat again. "Do let's."

"The first to run out of time is the loser," he explained, and Kiera noticed she was now a box made of cards. "WHAT THE HELL? YOU'VE BEEN PLAYING TOO MUCH SOLITARE ON THE ORGANIZATION'S COMPUTER, DAMMIT!" she shouted, making her cards shuffle a little with the sheer force of her voice.

"Sora, help me please."

"Can't right now, sorry," he replied as he fought with Luxord's cards. His tone suggested he was trying not to collapse with laughter.

After struggling and contorting every which way, Kiera finally went back to normal, and she was able to help Sora defeat Luxord within the time limit, no problem.

"Piece of cake," Kiera commented as Luxord fell.

"How could you...Roxas..."

"That's SORA!" he shouted as Luxord vanished. Kairi and the others walked over to them. "You okay, Sora?"

"Of course he is, _I _did most of the work," Kiera replied cheerfully. Sora's temple throbbed. "In what universe?"

"This one, stupid. That explains why you did so bad, your mind was elsewhere!"

Kairi looked really confused, and Riku just shook his head. "They do this a lot," he, Donald, and Goofy said in unison. Kiera and Sora sweatdropped at that, and Sora shook his head as she opened her mouth to say something. "Kiera, don't even bother."

* * *

They made their way through only about three other hallways before running into yet another Organization member. Itachi-Wannabe. Aka Saix.

"Only _you_ could make it this far in one piece...Roxas."

"That's really getting old!"

Donald and Goofy stepped in front of Sora, arms spread. "Yeah, he's SORA!"

"Different name, same fate," was his reply. He made wind that blew Kairi and Riku on the other side of a barrier.

Kiera sighed heavily. "...Why am _I_ never put on the other side of the barrier?" Sora shrugged. "You're too helpful."

"Are you implying Kairi's not helpful? Sora, HOW DARE YOU." He couldn't help but laugh at that, and Kiera felt as if she'd just won something. Not exactly sure what, but she won it.

After whooping Saix's ass, Kiera sighed heavily. "Too many Organization members around here. I'mma need a vacation before long."

He staggered before dropping his weapon and staggering towards the moon. "Why...Kingdom Hearts...Where is my heart?" he asked, holding out a hand towards it as he vanished. She felt Sora's surge of sadness, but then it was gone.

"I don't get it. Why's everybody been calling me Roxas?" he asked Riku.

"Because, Sora. Roxas is your Nobody." His and Kiera's eyes widened. "I had a feeling...by how calm he made me feel," she murmured to herself.

"My...Nobody? But that's crazy! I never turned into a Hear – ...Oh. Right."

"It was when you came to rescue me. Remember?" Kairi asked gently. _There was a second time? ...Wait, why am I so surprised by this?_ Kiera wondered with a slight eye twitch.

Sora nodded, and Riku spoke up. "Xemnas was the one who found Roxas. He could use the Keyblade, because he was your Nobody. So that's why Xemnas brought him into the Organization. But he betrayed them. After that, I fought him because I thought it would wake you up. I lost, but the next time we met, I made sure I was the stronger one. Maybe I didn't need to fight him after all. I think he left the Organization because...he really wanted to meet you."

"Roxas...I wish I could meet him, too." Riku stepped towards him, pointing to Sora's heart. Sora touched his heart, and Riku nodded before turning and walking away. "Alright...Let's go."

* * *

When they finally reached Ansem, Sora called out to the King. "Your Majesty!"

Ansem the Wise - the real, Banana-Republic-wearing Ansem - turned to look at him and Kiera. "Sora, it's all up to you now. And Roxas – I doubt you can hear me but – I _am _sorry. ...And Kiera...I wish I could tell you more about why you were dragged into this, and why you've had to do so much with little to no warning, but I cannot. I only hope you aren't too against helping Sora succeed."

"Ansem!"

"My heart is telling me what I must do, please allow me to do what it says!"

"No, Ansem!" Mickey protested, moving towards him. Riku pulled him back. "Riku..."

"His heart's decided. We can't change that." A few moments later, Kiera's shoulder stung, and Xehanort appeared.

"I was wondering who would dare interfere with my Kingdom Hearts. And look – here you all are. How convenient for me. Ansem the Wise...You look pathetic."

"Have your laugh. I deserve as much for failing to see you as the fool you are."

"Students do take after their teachers. Only a fool would be _your _apprentice! After all, if it weren't for you, none of this would have happened. YOU are the source of ALL Heartless. It was _your _research that inspired me to go further than you ever dared."

"I admit...My disregard brought chaos to more worlds than one. But what were YOU seeking? You erased me from the world...only to take my name and continue research better left forgotten...Is this the answer you've been looking for?"

"All that and more. I'm carrying on what you yourself began. I'm creating a new world – one heart at a time. I thought you'd praise me, but all you ever do is hold me back. I understand, though. Unlike me, you _have _a heart. And you can't control it. Consumed...by the jealousy you feel toward the student who surpassed you."

"Xehanort. _Foolish _apprentice of a _foolish _man. You have surpassed nothing – only proved how little we both know. We may profess to know the heart, but its essence is beyond our reach. We're both ignorant – as oblivious as when we began. I'm afraid that any world you try to create...Any world of yours...would be an empire of ignorance! That's why you and your creation are destined to fall. Riku? You know what to do. King Mickey, my friend, forgive me! Farewell!"

And with that, bright light consumed him. Sora moved to help him, but Kiera pulled him back. The light whooshed back towards them, blowing them all back. Kiera blacked out for a moment, but when she came to, she noticed Riku looked different.

"Wowww!"

"Riku!"

"Ansem did say 'anything could happen'..." Mickey commented. Kiera nodded. "And when someone like Ansem says 'anything', they mean ANYTHING."

"Riku, you gonna take that off?"

"Oh..." He took off the black blindfold, revealing bright green-blue eyes. "What was that, anyway?" Sora asked.

"His eyes couldn't lie," Mickey replied for him.

"And just who were you trying to fool? Huh? _Huhhh_?" Sora asked in a rather immature tone, making Kiera snort a laugh before she could stop herself.

"Myself," was Riku's reply.

"Riku...C'mon, man! Why'd you try to do so much on your own?" Sora asked, turning to stand beside Kiera. "You've got friends...like us!" Even Kiera smiled at that.

"Have you forgotten? I'll tell you why. 'Cause I'm not a total sap like you!"

"Say that again," Sora growled, making Kiera's grin grow close to idiotic.

"Uh-ohhh," Donald commented as they noticed the Kingdom Hearts change colors, and all the Heartless below. "What should we do, Riku?"

"Defeat Xemnas. He's the Organization's last survivor." Riku ripped off his cloak, revealing a black zip-up tank-top and a white and yellow vest over it, baggy blue denim jeans, and noticeably more normal-looking shoes than Sora or Kiera.

"Well then, what're waiting for?" Kiera asked, popping her knuckles. "Let's go kick some ass."

* * *

This time only Kiera, Sora, Riku, and Donald continued together. The others were meeting them through some other way.

On the way there, they reached a huge door. Something about the door told Kiera that once she went through it, things were going to change.

She noticed everyone else was staring at the door, too. "...Does anyone else have a profound sense of doom?" she asked.

"_I_ do," they all replied, raising a hand in agreement. She chuckled. "I like this. I could get along with you, Riku, you fit right in."

"I'm honored."

She swiveled her gaze over to Sora. "Hear that? He's HONORED." He shot Riku a dirty look while Kiera tied her shoes. "Thanks, Riku. With her ego, she'll NEVER let that one go." Riku rolled his eyes before opening the door. Kiera was standing up after tying her shoe when the tinglies came back. She had a sudden thought go through her mind.

_...What if I die in here? What if one of __**them**__ dies in here?_ She tugged on Sora's jacket sleeve, biting her lip. "Hey, wait."

"Huh?"

She stood up on her tiptoes a little to keep herself from chickening out and...then she kissed him. He was surprised at first, obviously, but then he kissed her too. She pulled away right before he could touch her, scared that if he did so she wouldn't be able to stop herself. "...Don't die," she said simply. She then hugged Donald. "You don't either."

"We won't, Kiera, it's a promise!" Donald assured her. She grinned. "Good." Kiera slapped hands with Riku before walking casually through the door as if nothing had happened.

She heard Donald snickering, and Riku sighed heavily before she heard the squeaking of sneakers that made it sound almost like someone was being dragged across the slick floor. "C'mon, Loverboy, snap out of it!"

Kiera was about to laugh, but then she noticed the figure in the center of the room. He was standing before a lab table, with tons of test tubes and random crap.

There was a chair, and his lab coat was hanging off the back of it. Just like it always had at home, before he left for work. If he was ever home before Kiera went to bed, that's where the lab coat was hung; on his chair at the kitchen table.

"...What?" Kiera said shakily, confused beyond belief. Why was he here? HOW was he here? Sora and the others came to an abrupt halt behind her. Tension immediately oozed into the room as he looked up from his insanely-thick book to scrutinize her. "...Hm. Looks like you've had a rough night, kiddo."

"I've had a _lot_ of rough nights, thanks to you," was her reply. Her voice was sharp enough to cut steel, and even Riku looked uneasy.

Dad laughed. "Great, you got more like Grace while I was gone. Always got an answer for everything."

"I got that from both of you. Oh, wait, I'm sorry; you just give me cryptic BULLSHIT answers. My mistake."

"Now now, no need to get snippy again. I haven't seen you in a whole year!"

"One year, four months, two weeks, and fdays."

"Close enough."

She shook her head with a laugh. "No, Dad, it's not. I kept a calendar for you, you know. I knew _waaaay_ deep down that you were alive. I would mark off each day and say to myself 'Today...Today's the day he might come home. And he'll be so proud of me for counting all this time and not giving up on him.' ...Momma kept telling me to take it down, saying I was just making it harder on myself. I didn't listen. Maybe she was right, though. Because while you were gone, I forgot about the little tiny things about you that terrified me."

He cocked his head to the side. "I terrified you? That's a new one, Kiera."

"Kat."

"What?"

"You always called me Kat. You don't do that anymore. Why? It's like...Whenever you've talked to me since you disappeared, since I've been with my friends, you...talk as if I'm not your kid. Y'know? Like...I'm just any other person that you see every day. Sometimes you sound as if you hate me, whenever I tell you I can't do this or can't do that. ...Dad...Don't you still love me anymore?" she asked, her voice cracking a little at the end.

A weird expression crossed his face, then disappeared as he laughed. "Kiera, honey...You want me to be honest?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, then, to be honest...I never really _loved_ you, kiddo."

She jumped back as if he'd bit her. "Wh-What did you just say?"

Dad rolled his eyes as if talking to a misbehaving ten-year-old. "Honestly, don't look so shocked. How would _you_ react if your kid would sit there and watch tv, and if a commercial came on about some random toy she wanted, it would appear in her hands in an instant? Or if whenever she was angry, you feared for your life because she would do just about _anything_ to let all that anger out? We were devastated. No one told us what to do if your kid's a freak."

Her cringe was rather noticeable when he said the word "freak", but she was determined to keep her expression neutral.

"One day, this guy came to our door. Said his name was Ansem. He said he had heard about you and had an offer to make. He knew I was researching genetics. He was researching human hearts. He explained that you were so...'different' because somehow, there was another human being out there you were connected to. He also said that were that person to die, you would return to normal. He also said that were the person to die, he'd pay me a _huge_ lump sum. He showed me this computer he'd brought with him, it was able to take me back to while Grace was pregnant with you, and thus...the job was done. But, I mean, c'mon. ...What would _you_ have done, Kiera?"

_...This all sounds like a horrible plot for a science-fiction movie. I mean, c'mon, a computer that lets you travel through time? No way! ...Then again...Disney characters aren't supposed to be real..._

She opened her mouth to reply, but he waved her off. "Baaahh, you wouldn't understand. You're still a kid. You don't know how hard it is being an adult, on your own, raising a family."

Her eyes flashed in warning. "WHAT WAS THAT? I don't KNOW how HARD it is? Are you on CRACK? Oh, wait, that's right – YOU WEREN'T THERE! Do you realize that mom's drunk almost a hundred percent of the time? And she's basically rendered incapable of thinking processes and problem-solving skills past the age of, like, twelve? Do you have any IDEA what I've been doing? I don't think you have. For the past year or so, I've been practically KILLING MYSELF trying to keep the both of us ALIVE! While, of course, buying her beloved beer. You know, at one point, I couldn't _find_ a job. We didn't have groceries for _weeks_ except for the stuff I stole, or that Momma dug outta the neighbor's trash while I was gone. At one point, you could even see my ribs. MY RIBS, Dad. Not to _mention _I was trying to keep my grades up, and trying to keep my friends stupid and unaware of the whole situation so their parents wouldn't alert Social Services! So don't you DARE tell me how DAMN HARD IT WAS FOR _YOU_!"

He stared at her for a few moments as she tried to compose herself, fists clenching and unclenching. "...He's right. You can control your anger now...The Killer Gene really _is_ gone...!"

Kiera's head snapped up at that. "What? Killer Gene? You...Surely you _didn't_..."

Dad grinned and sat in his chair, leaning it back on its back two legs while folding his arms behind his head smugly. "Yeaaah, that was me. I'm the reason you nearly killed Sora. ...Dammit, I wish you had. That was the whole goddamn POINT of that experiment...!"

Kiera laughed in disbelief. "Oh! Perfect! My own dad's the reason I almost went insane! FUCKING PERFECT!"

"It _woulda_ been perfect if you'd done what I asked you to, JUST THIS ONCE."

"NO, Dad, you can't play that card on me. You can't just ask your kid to _kill_ someone, especially not a friend."

He laughed again at that. "Hahahahaha! Oh God...Kiera, you...you just don't get it, do you?"

"Get WHAT?" she asked with an exasperated sigh. Now this whole conversation was just starting to piss her off.

"The whole reason you're still ALIVE at this point – the only reason I didn't just put you in a trash bag and throw ya in the Wolf River a long time ago – is because everyone's been riding on the fact that you're one of the few people around here who could actually have a chance at killing Sora. In fact, Ansem, er...Xehanort...whatever the hell he's going by now...he said that perhaps that's the whole reason you exist. To destroy him and wield the Keyblade as your own, or give it to whomever you choose."

Kiera gaped at him, and Sora suddenly stepped forward. "...You sick son of a bitch."

That caught her attention – that pure venom in his voice. "She's your _daughter_! What gives you the right to sit there and talk to her like she's an experiment, or some piece of trash? If your kid's different and dangerous, you help them, you don't call them a freak! What gives you the right to abandon your family like that? Like they're _nothing_ to you! And now that I think of it...How are you NOT a Heartless or Nobody? There's no light LEFT in your goddamn heart!"

Dad chuckled, almost completely unfazed by Sora's rant. "Kid, I'm from a whole other world. No one goes around turning into some other creature when they go bad. They just do bad shit. Like me, I guess. But hey; I have the right. Like you so eloquently said, she's my _daughter_. That means she's _mine _under law, not _yours_. Ergo, I can do whatever the hell I please."

"That's not how it _works_, asshole!" Kiera shouted, angry tears pricking her eyes. Sora tugged on her arm. "C'mon, we're just wasting time, let's go."

"You're not going anywhere," Dad snapped as they headed for the exit. Sora scoffed. "Yeah? And what're you gonna do about it if we do?"

"I'mma do what my daughter _shoulda_ done, _that's_ what!" he growled, grabbing a bone saw off his lab table.

Kiera paled, knowing in that moment what the whole point of him being there was. And knowing exactly who'd be getting rid of him. "Sora..."

"Huh?"

"Get goin'."

"WHAT?" he shouted as she pushed him towards the exit, where the other two were waiting for him. "GO, you dumbass! Sprecken ze English?"

"Kiera, I am NOT leaving you alone with that nutjob!" She let him wriggle out of her grip, holding his gaze once he turned to look at her. She set her jaw, staring him down in determination. "Sora, this is _my_ fight. You gotta just keep goin' and stay out of it, alright? ...So get goin'." He stared at her for a few moments before reluctantly nodding. "Fine. ...Kiera?"

She sighed exasperatedly, figuring he was choosing _that_ _very_ _moment_ to talk her out of it. "WHAT, Sora, what could you POSSIBLY WANT from me at this VERY mo –" He grabbed her gently before kissing her.

_...Oh. **Well** then._

His hand touched her face briefly before kissing her one more time and pulling away. "...YOU don't die."

"U-U-Uh-huh," she said dumbly, nodding like a total moron. _That_ made him grin. "Hey, lookie there, Kiera's _blushing_."

That snapped her out of it, and she smacked him upside the head. "You dumbass, GO ALREADY!"

"YES MA'AM!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she ordered as he and the others ran out the door.

* * *

Once they were the only two left in the room, Kiera summoned a huge padlock onto both doors. She gave her dad a look that could kill. "...There. Now neither of us are getting outta here until one of us is bleeding on the floor."

He laughed. "Kiera, I wouldn't imagine leaving until you're bleeding on the floor ANYWAY."

"I'm not so sure 'bout that. You sure do run a lot, Dad."

"Well, I won't be running now. I've been looking forward to this for a loooong time." And with that, he started up his bone saw. Kiera summoned a regular aluminum bat; he wasn't worth the sharpened-to-perfection spikes. "Well then, what're you waiting for?"

He took that as his cue, slinging the bone saw in her direction. She dodged it with ease, but the second bone saw was a little harder. The third posed a problem. And the fourth bone saw grazed her arm but didn't do too much damage.

"Who the hell has _eight_ bone saws?" she demanded to know as she dodged the eighth one. She summoned some scissors and cut their cords, making them whirr for about three more seconds before dying.

Dad frowned. "Aww, Kiera, you're no fun."

"Huh. Funny, I was gonna say that to you. I was hoping this fight would have a bit closer range than THAT shit you just pulled."

His frown shot right up into a smirk, buttoning his lab coat up one more setting. "Well, then? Whatchya waitin' for, kiddo?"

Kiera waited for him to try and throw another weapon at her, teleporting at the last second so that she was behind him. To her immense surprise, he whirled around and countered her aluminum bat with a heavy textbook.

"...Judging by that Deer-In-The-Headlights look you have going, I'm guessing that lousy trick works a lot for ya."

She growled to herself, jumping back as he sliced the air with an oversized scalpel. He followed her, and she dodged every single one by mere inches. Dad turned over a table, ramming it into her legs and sending her sprawling.

She held a hand out to catch herself, but didn't want to run the risk of a wrist injury. So she let herself fall while bracing herself to roll, rolling out of the way of one of his medical tools. It stabbed the floor instead, staying there and wobbling slightly.

Kiera hopped to her feet, then onto a bookshelf as he threw some kind of chemical onto the ground. The floor where she'd been standing hissed and sizzled, and she made a face. "Holy shit, Dad, you sure ain't foolin' around, are ya?"

"No, no more foolin'," he repeated from behind her. She flipped off of the bookcase, and his response was to throw some powder into her face.

Kiera covered her eyes just in time, but he took that opening to kick her stomach, that foot swinging upward to knock her backwards by her jaw as well. She wiped some blood away from her mouth with a glare as he started laughing.

"God damn, Kiera, I thought you would actually be a force to be _reckoned_ with! Especially with the way you were talkin'...Guess you're more like your momma than I thought; _she_ was all talk _too_ when she agreed that getting rid of you was the best thing. Though _she_ had adoption in mind. ...If you think about it, my way was better. If someone adopted you, they'd probably be more freaked out than _we _were, and they might've –"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT _UP_! DO YA KNOW THE _MEANING_ OF THE WORD?" she screamed at him, fists clenched tightly at her sides as she started turning red from the effort and the shouting. She took a couple deep breaths before continuing. "...Just shut up."

"Yeah, Kiera, I got that much."

"THEN DO IT, GODDAMMIT! I'M SICK OF YOUR VOICE!" she shouted, summoning her aluminum bat again and charging straight for him.

She knew it was a stupid move from the moment she thought of it, but she didn't care. She could feel her common sense start slipping away. She was getting closer to that breaking point that stood between her and Blind Rage; she just wanted to get her anger out.

Kiera actually managed to get in a couple swings out of the roughly eighty times she swung and jabbed at him. He blocked most of them with random test tubes or other assorted objects, and a couple times the glass exploded on impact, scratching their arms and faces.

She was pretty sure it got her right leg at one point, too. Eventually she began to slip up, and he managed to get the upper hand. Kiera had been so busy working on getting her anger out that she never did notice what they were fighting next to: a table. Why was this so important? Because there was a taser laying on the table. And guess who was the first to grab it?

"Gotchya," Dad commented triumphantly after jamming the taser against what little part of her stomach was exposed; he was currently watching her twitch occasionally on the floor.

It took her a few moments to even be able to talk, she was so stunned. Damn taser. "Wh-Wh-Wh...Wh...Why the h-hell do...do you even h-h-h-have that?"

"Same reason I have eight bone saws; I come prepared. Besides. I've studied you for almost sixteen years, Kiera, I know how dangerous you could be."

_Studied me. What am I, a test subject? ...I'm impressed he even cares on THAT level, actually...Wait, c'mon, snap out of it!_

Kiera shook herself quickly, causing her body to twitch violently again as the taser's electricity started to wear off a little. "So you must realize by now that I can pretty much predict anything you might try on me. ...Especially since it appears you've relied on the same tricks way too heavily."

_Alright, so he can predict shit I've already done. Think...Think...What the hell have I never summoned before...? Well, besides the obvious, like Spam 'N Eggs...It has to make a good weapon, too...That I can use WELL...Or at least have an idea on what I'm –_

Her attention snapped back to Dad as she heard a gun being cocked, making her brain kick into high-gear. _Think, think, THINK DAMMIT, SUMMON SOMETHING!_

Of all things – and maybe it was pretty expected of her at this point – Sora popped into her head, and she felt like facepalming.

A Keyblade.

With the amount of times she'd watched Sora fight...Not to mention, KAIRI could handle a Keyblade...So Kiera's success was pretty much guaranteed. ...Right? Dad chuckled as her eyes wandered around the room, trying to think up her own type of Keyblade so as not to accidentally steal SORA'S when he could be in the middle of a huge fight at the moment.

"Say goodnight, kiddo."

She suddenly remembered the trick she'd used only once against Demyx, and without a word, she teleported under his feet as soon as he shot his gun.

"THE HELL?" he fumed before running a hand down his entire face and sighing. "Alright, kiddo, where'd you go?" he wondered, looking around and turning random stuff over.

While he was busy having a tantrum, Kiera eased her summoning so as not to send out a giant burst at once.

She ended up with a Keyblade that looked admittedly a little like Sora's Kingdom Key, but having his and Kairi's as her only real basises, which one did you _think _she'd go for?

Although, she _did_ notice one of Roxas' Keyblades had a design that was pretty cool. Not that she had much time to think about Keyblades before Dad figured out where she was.

So she mainly incorporated Sora's Kingdom Key with the different-looking teeth and downward-bat-wings hilt of Roxas', with hers having a color scheme of green and black (go figure).

Once it was all together in her hand, she gripped it tight before taking a deep breath. "You've got this. You've seen Sora use it about a _bazillion_ times. ...Jeez, you _stare_ at him enough to know what he's doing. Now go kick some ass."

And with that, she waited until Dad walked past (at a furious pace). She then launched out of the ground, grabbing him by the ankle and yanking him upside-down as she went. Kiera let him drop, glaring at him and simultaneously smirking at the satisfyingly loud _**THUNK**_ his head made when it hit the floor.

"...Don't _ever_ call me Kiddo again. Got it, you bastard?" she practically snarled, jumping back as he tried to tase her again.

She then countered it by flipping upwards, knocking his taser out of his grip with the Keyblade mid-flip before ramming the hilt backwards into his stomach.

He groaned, but didn't double over as she'd hoped. Kiera dodged his next weapon, and slid between his legs when he grabbed yey ANOTHER bone saw. After passing through his legs, she sliced the backs of aforementioned legs with her Keyblade before stabbing it into his back, making him basically faceplant the floor.

"Guess Sora's moves weren't necessary for me to copy _after_ all," Kiera said smugly, yanking the Keyblade out of his back and pointing it at his throat with a shit-eating grin. "You weren't so tough without your tricks, were ya, Dad?"

"You had to get your reliance on cheap tricks from somewhere. You ARE my kid, y'know."

She shook her head. "Maybe so, but...you're most definitely not my dad."

A weird expression crossed his face, and she had a fleeting hope that maybe he was back to normal now. Maybe all that talk about never loving her was just something he had said out of anger. Maybe –

He suddenly started laughing as if she'd said the funniest thing he ever heard. "Hahahahaha! Oh God...Oh wow, I _hope _I'm not really your dad. That would make me feel so much better..."

"How about I kill you? Would that make you feel better? 'Cause it sure as hell would make _my_ day," she snarled.

"You won't do it," he sneered, making her grind her foot harder into his arm. He winced, groaning a little, but continued. "I _know_ you won't do it. You don't have the guts."

"I sure had enough guts to almost kill Sora."

"Yeah, that was then. This is now. You've ruined your killer instincts now, thanks to that damn kid changing your genes."

She frowned. "See, that's the thing. You still don't get it."

"Get what?" he asked with an eyeroll.

"He didn't change me. Not really. He just brought me back to my own self. _You're_ the one who changed who I really am, dontchya remember? Your stupid damned Killer Gene. ...All Sora did was be there for me and help me out. Y'know, something mommas and daddies are supposed to do," she snapped.

Dad scoffed, rolling his eyes again. "Oh please. Spare me the lecture, alright?"

Kiera narrowed her eyes. "...Fine." She stomped onto his arm, and she felt something crackle and snap as he screamed despite himself. She dug the Keyblade into his neck, not quite breaking the skin. "You mentioned a computer. It helped you go back in time to do whatever the hell you did to me while momma was pregnant. Where is it now?"

"Like hell I'll tell _you_," he spat before _literally _spitting. He meant for it to hit her, but it arced onto his own shirt, dribbling rather pathetically; it was tinged red.

"You might wanna rethink that answer," she growled, raising her shoe threateningly and letting it hover just above his crotch. "It's obvious you don't want kids, maybe I should ensure you never haveta worry about rubbers _ever_ again, _huuuuh_?" she asked innocently, a not-so-innocent smirk on her face.

His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, and she bit her lip to keep from grinning smugly as he held his good hand up in surrender. "O-O-Okay, okay, you win! Ansem took it back to his lab, i-i-in the manor, and it got smashed along with the _other _computers that Roxas smashed. I swear! I'm not lying!"

"'I'm not lying.' he says. Why do I not believe that?" she wondered with mock curiosity, looking up the ceiling thoughtfully as she simultaneously shifted her weight between her foot and the Keyblade, causing a symphony of different-pitched groans.

"GODDAMMIT, IF IT WAS STILL AROUND, YOU'D BE _DEAD _RIGHT NOW, I ASSURE YOU!" he screamed, his tone dangerously close to being hysterical as her weight shifted back to her foot.

Kiera smiled down at him cheerfully. "Aaaatta boy," she praised, jumping back away from him. He immediately howled with pain and clutched his crotch, making her erupt with laughter.

"You fucking bitch!" he shouted, turning red with anger as he rolled back and forth on the floor.

"Awww. I would say I understand how _hard_ life must be for you, but I'm too young to know about it. Right?"

He didn't reply to that, too busy crawling towards the table where the taser had been. She noticed there was something else on top of it, some kind of handheld device with lots of buttons. "Okay, alright, fine. I'll letchya have this one. _Next time_, I'll be grinding you in the dirt," he muttered, his thumb hovering shakily over one button in particular as he continued to pant.

"Don't count on it," Kiera snapped. "Next time, I'll do _more _than just kick your ass." He laughed with a slight wheeze before pressing the button, disappearing. Granted, Kiera probably could've killed him right then and there, but she didn't.

She didn't resist the urge out of love – well, maybe a little. He was still her dad. But mainly because death would be too easy. Now the bastard would be constantly worrying about how strong she was getting, constantly paranoid and looking over his shoulder, constantly lonely without a friend in the world.

So she let him go.

_This _time.

"Besides," she commented suddenly with a chuckle, making the Keyblade disappear and hoping she wouldn't have to use it again. "Who the hell knows how much longer Sora can last without me doing all the work for him?"

That made her laugh even harder as she ran off to find the others, so happy and relieved that her pain from that fight barely even registered to her.


	45. The End: Sit, Paopu Fruit, & Mansex!

**Me: Oh my God...It's...It's...THE LAST CHAPTERRRR!**** ALL MY HARD WORK IS OFFICIALLY FINISHED! WAAAAA!**

**Sora: (Sweatdrops) I've never heard of someone crying because they have no more work to do.**

**Kiera: (Nods, sweatdropping) Especially if they're a slacker.**

**Me: Are you calling me a SLACKER? ...'Cause I am. Well, anyway, I guess we should get on with those presents, huh?**

**Kiera and Sora: YAY!**

**Me: (Eyeroll) Yeah, I can see you're both all torn up about the last chapp of the fic. Well, the first set of presents are from Mugiwara-Kaizokudan. AHEM:**

**"They must be getting sick o' cake now? (though I'd never get sick of that shit) so how about this: Kiera can have a Sora plushie (so she can hug it when she feels his pain and feels too embarassed to actually hug Sora :P) an OJ fountain, and a year's supply of Pop Tarts. Sora can have a Kiera plushie complete with other worlds costumes, his own years' supply of cookies, and a 'How not to anger the opposite sex' guide free with butt cushion if that fails xD. Oh and lets not forget the authoress. Since cyber stuff aint all fun you have my love for this story and my hope that you will make a sequal if necessary. Looking forward to next chappy (:"**

**Kiera: Sick of cake? WHO THE HELL EVER GETS SICK OF CA- ...Oooh, a fountain of OJ and year's supply of Pop Tarts?**

**Sora: Hahahaha, she gave you a plushie of me because you wanna HUG MEEE!**

**Kiera and Me: (Sweatdrop) And just what are you doing with your plushie, Sora?**

**Sora: (Stops cuddling with his plushie and hides it behind his back) I was, um...massaging the fabric...so I could destroy it easier later.**

**Kiera: (Raises eyebrows)**

**Me: ...Wow, whatever you say. ANYWAY. Next set's from Morcelink. AHEM:**

**"Also, nice keyblade Kiera...although...I could help you get one that is really powerful and totally awesomesauce. For instance, a combination of Two Become One and Ultima Weapon with a few special for presents...well, how about you send me a list of things that you want. I could send you...well, then again...If it were possible I could send you the anime copy of "Dude, What's With The Robe"...oh well, here are some cookies and a gamecube,three controllers, three memory cards, and Legend Of Zelda Twilight Princess.(yes, it was lying around in Ichi- I mean, my closet)"**

**Kiera: Hahahahaha! Ichigo plays Zelda! I so didn't see that coming!**

**Me: Wow, if they made "Dude" into an anime...**

**Sora, Kiera, and Me: (Thinking Poses)**

**Kiera: Hey, wait, Sora we got COOKIES!**

**Sora: YAY!**

**Me: ...Such simple-minded creatures. **

**Kiera: Oh, and as far as that Keyblade goes, as soon as I know just exactly what I'm doing when I handle one, I might take you up on that!**

**Me: The next set of presents is from Keariel. AHEEEEEEMM:**

* * *

After killing a few random Heartless with one swipe each, she finally caught up with the others. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, and Riku were all just sort of standing there. Kiera ran up to them, breathing heavy. "What I miss?"

They all jumped a little after seeing her, and Kairi's eyes were practically threatening to bulge out of their sockets. "What in the world _happened_ to you?"

"What? Do I really look that bad?" Kiera wondered, summoning a floor-length mirror and inspecting herself.

She had a couple bruises already popping up on her arms and legs, plenty of scrapes, a cut near her eye, blood trickling down her left leg, and what part of her stomach that was exposed was singed slightly. The bruise there made it hard to tell what part was singed black and what wasn't. Kiera sighed heavily, making the mirror disappear. "...Oh. Guess I do."

"Makes me wonder how bad _Dr._ _Sage_ looks," Riku commented. King Mickey nodded in agreement, eyeing her worriedly. "Gosh, Kiera, are you alright?"

She waved him off. "Fine, fine, just...a little...jumpy." That made her laugh somewhat-hysterically. "...In fact, you could say my nerves were...FRIED! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The others sweatdropped, and Kairi edged a little closer to Riku. Once Kiera finally stopped laughing, she looked around suspiciously. "...Where's Sora?"

"We don't know, he just kinda...disappeared...with Xemnas," Kairi explained thoughtfully. Kiera's temple throbbed. "And ya'll are just STANDING here?"

"Well, what _else_ is there to do?" Riku pointed out. There was silence at that one, which was broken by Kiera's huff. "Well...He can't be too far, I can almost feel him..."

"_Feel_ him?" Kairi repeated.

Donald snickered. "Oh, yeah. They _feel_ each other a _lot_!"

"WHAT?" Kairi repeated, eyes practically complete circles now as her jaw dropped to the floor. Kiera's temple throbbed menacingly, and it throbbed even bigger as Riku nodded with a smirk. "I could believe that."

"_Ri_-kuuu!" she and Kairi exclaimed, and Donald flat-out burst into laughter at their expressions. Goofy started guffawing himself, and King Mickey just plain facepalmed. "C'mon, you guys, this is ridiculous...!"

"Tell me, Kiera, who usually initiates the _feeling_, you or Sora?"

"I'm not at liberty to answer that," she practically growled, "because there's no _feeling_ going _on_ around here!"

"What about that time in Halloween Town?" Donald asked.

"Aw, Donald, you know they were just stuck and trying to get untangled with each other!" Goofy exclaimed. Then he seemed to think about it, scratching his head. "...Actually, come ta think of it...They didn't seem too hasty about it until they realized we were standing there..."

"And let's not forget those noises they were making," Donald added, making Goofy nod in agreement. Kairi and Kiera were both practically blowing steam out their ears at this point, for two very different reasons. Riku just grinned. "Y'know, there WAS this bet running between a few Organization members about you two and how –"

"SORA, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND TELL THEM YOU DON'T _FEEL_ ME A LOT!" Kiera shouted at the top of her lungs, stomping her foot for emphasis.

To their immense surprise, a blue wave of light filled the sky, and Sora fell onto the ground a few good feet away from them. "Sora!" they all exclaimed, and Kiera was the first to reach him.

"You're okay!" Mickey announced.

"Yeah, looks like I am...Kiera, what the hell happened to _you_?" he wondered thoughtfully, making her temple throb. "Well, now, that depends. I'm kinda scarred for life, thanks to a couple idiots behind me."

Riku and Donald shrugged innocently. "We just mentioned the obvious," Riku said defensively.

"Why I oughta –"

"Where's Xemnas?" Sora asked suddenly. Donald made a noise before pointing up to the sky. They all looked up to see Xemnas hovering mid-air in front of the heart-shaped moon.

"Hear me, Kingdom Hearts! It seems we must begin anew. Ah, but know this: I will give you as many hearts as it takes. Mark my words! You can no more be complete without me than I without you. _Heed me_, Kingdom Hearts! Lend me your power, so that we may be complete! The power to _erase_ the fools that hinder us."

"Xemnas, no!" Mickey shouted.

"Hearts _quivering_ with hatred..."

"Xemnas! Don't!" Sora shouted.

"Hearts _burning_ with rage..."

"You'll never win!" Donald declared.

"Hearts _scarred_ by envy...That fool Ansem said the heart's true nature was beyond his understanding. But it's not beyond mine! Hearts are the source of all power!"

And with that, there was a bright white light. When they were finally able to see, Xemnas was nowhere to be seen. "Xemnas, you can't hide from us!" Sora shouted to the sky.

Kiera shook her head slowly. "That son of a bitch, thinks he knows how to control people's hearts..."

"We're not gonna let him get away now!" Mickey informed them, making them all turn to look at him.

"Look at that!" Kairi suddenly exclaimed, pointing to a random point in the sky. "I don't see anyth..." Kiera trailed off as a door suddenly started to form, and once it was completely there, she sweatdropped. "...Not to be rude or to ruin the moment, but...How in the _hell_ did you see that before it even frigging appeared, Kairi?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but Goofy interrupted her. "What's goin' on?"

"Kingdom Hearts..." Mickey replied.

"Let's go," Riku commented suddenly. "Xemnas must be inside."

"The worlds gave us this doorway. They want us to be the guardians of their destiny!"

Sora nodded, and Riku spoke next. "Once we go through, there's no turning back. It's victory...or oblivion. So, Sora, Kiera...Are you two ready?" he asked, turning to look at them.

Kiera jumped slightly, looking at them both. "What? I'm coming too? I think this is more of a male-bonding-experience, why don't ya'll just go on without me," she said quickly, backing away anxiously.

"Aww, c'mon Kiera, you can't back out _now_," Sora more-or-less whined. Riku grinned. "He has a point. You're his Gatekeeper."

"I didn't sign up for _this_! ...Come to think of it, I didn't sign up for ANY of this! I've already been electrocuted and nearly gotten my ass kicked, and that was by my dad, one of the most spineless people in the goddamn WORLD! How do ya expect me to handle THAT GUY?" she exclaimed. She wasn't exactly sure why she was suddenly so nervous about this, all she knew was that she _was_.

Sora smirked. "Well, jeez, Kiera. You've done all the work so far. I'm sure you can handle Xemnas no problem, huh?"

She stared at him for a few moments, but soon enough she was smirking too. "...That's true. C'mon, Sora, quit holding us all up!"

The three Keyblade bearers activated the door, and Sora was the first to speak. "Get ready, Xemnas. It all ends here!"

* * *

When they went through the door, Xemnas was waiting at the far end atop a throne-like platform. "So...it seems your hearts have led you to obliteration. ...And to think I had some hope for Sage's child, especially with that gene of hers. ...Perhaps it doesn't pay to be too loyal to one's heart. I will have to be sure and remember that."

Suddenly, a building was cut in half, and the door they had gone through shut. "No, wait!"

Now it was just Kiera, Sora, Riku, and Goofy. "It's alright, we can take him on our own," Sora commented, him and Riku summoning their Keyblades.

Kiera thought about summoning her own Keyblade, but decided she'd save that as her secret weapon, and summoned her usual spiked aluminum bat instead. "Damn right we can."

They ran ahead, and Kiera gawked as Sora sliced right through the buildings that tried to stop them. She had to admit, it looked pretty epic. And judging by the solemnly intense pose he struck a few seconds before the building fell to pieces, he was totally milking it. They kept running, jumping onto a rising platform.

Sora went ahead of them, slicing each obstacle in his way, and they soon followed him. "We'll have to knock them in their core to damage them," Riku commented as they sliced into the Heartless.

Kiera nodded, summoning a flamethrower. "Alright. Ya'll just look for cover."

"What the hell is THAT?" they wondered.

"The thing I never got to use against Demyx. It'll blow your eyebrows right off." They all exchanged looks before running to get out of her way. "Flame on," she said simply, laughing maniacally as she torched them all.

The other three watched in amazement, jaws on the floor. "...I want whatever the hell she's using," Riku commented.

Sora sighed heavily. "Story of my life. Sometimes she makes me wonder why the hell she'd ever use a Keyblade."

"Probably why she doesn't use one."

"But she says she _wants_ one."

"But she doesn't ever _use_ one. This is why," Riku replied. They both sighed heavily, drooping, and she glanced at them. "If you're done moping, can we go destroy that energy core now? I'll keep any Heartless that might pop up distracted while you do it," she offered, already running for aforementioned energy core.

They soon followed, and the other three went to work on the core while she summoned her bat back and went to work on the Heartless. Some of them started coming from above, so she then summoned a bow and arrow with flaming mini-pumpkins on the sides of the arrowheads.

That seemed to work great, but soon too many showed up for just Kiera alone to handle. Goofy and Riku helped out until the numbers were back down to Kiera Size, and not long after, the core was destroyed.

The throne Xemnas was sitting on was then exposed. "Cursed fools!" he declared. Kiera made a face; it looked like he had several growths going on at once, all of which were ugly as hell.

She sighed as water clones like Demyx's popped up. "I can't believe it. He can use _other_ Organization members' techniques, too?"

After a few minutes, Sora went into his Valor Form again, and Kiera huffed after getting attacked by Xemnas right after being rendered capable of battle again. "Alright, you know what? TRY THAT ONE MORE TIME, AND _I'M_ USING MY SECRET WEAPON, YOU BAS –"

Before she could even finish her threat, Riku had delivered the final blow, and they were soon surrounded by a beam of light. Kiera covered her eyes with her arm, and when she could look again, they were all back on the platform they had started on with Kairi, King Mickey, and Donald.

Xemnas – now growthless – fell to one knee. "I need...more rage. I need...more hearts."

"Xemnas," Sora began, "there's more to a heart than just anger or hate. It's full of all kinds of feelings. Don't you remember?"

"Unfortunately...I don't..." he replied, a look of genuine regret on his face as a black mass surrounded him and he disappeared.

"Is he...Is he dead?" Kiera wondered. Sora laughed in disbelief. "I think he is!"

They all started laughing, and Goofy jumped with joy. "You all did great!" King Mickey praised, jumping up to pat Kiera's shoulder. "Especially on such short notice. You were a great sport about it."

She smiled bashfully and shrugged. "Aw, shucks, it was nothing!"

"You're coming back with us, right?" Sora asked Riku. Kiera perked up in interest.

"I had given in to the darkness," was his reply.

"Riku!" Sora said in an almost scolding tone.

"How am I gonna face everyone?" Riku exclaimed.

"Like THIS," Sora replied, making a weird face. Riku started laughing, as did Kiera. Suddenly, the ground shook, and they all exchanged looks. "Hurry!" Mickey exclaimed.

"I'll open a path," Riku offered, but when he tried to summon a Keyblade, nothing happened. "You don't belong in the Dark Realm anymore, Riku," Mickey explained.

"Then how do we get out of here, Your Majesty?" Donald asked.

"Hmmm..."

Kiera jumped as a girl with blonde hair in a white dress appeared beside her. "U-Ummm..."

The girl grinned from ear to ear as the others turned around to look. "It's you...! Oh, I've been waiting to meet you for a long time!"

"...Oh. Well, in that case...Hi!" Kiera said cheerfully. "I'm Kiera."

"I know! I'm Namine."

"Hiya, Namine. So, uh, how's it goin'?"

"Oh, right! I was gonna open a path for you," she commented suddenly, opening said path in the form of a swirling black mass Kiera had grown used to seeing.

Sora and Kairi were sweatdropping massively at this point. "Who are you talking to?" Donald wondered. Kiera pointed to Namine. "What the hell do you mean 'Who are you talking to', I'm talking to –"

Namine touched her arm lightly, shaking her head, and Kiera nodded reluctantly before pointing at herself. "...Myself. As usual."

"Hey, who opened that portal?"

"No clue, but we better hurry and get through." Mickey, Donald, and Goofy ran in, as did Pluto. "C'mon!"

Sora, Kairi, and Riku walked towards the portal. They stopped beside Kiera, looking at Namine. "Thank you, Namine," Kairi said warmly.

"Sure. See? We meet again, like we promised," she told Sora.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Roxas' voice responded. "You said we'd meet again, but when we did, we might not recognize each other," he replied, stepping out from Sora's body in the middle of his sentence.

Sora jumped back in surprise, staggering a little. Kiera watched with a smile as the two Nobodies continued. At least, she assumed Namine was a Nobody, since she had the same faded appearance as Roxas.

"I did," she replied with a smile.

"But I knew you."

"Mmm. Strange."

Roxas stepped forward a little. "I _think_ I understand. I see myself the way you remember me. And you see yourself the way I remember you."

She smiled and nodded before commenting thoughtfully, "I always thought Nobodies were doomed to fade back into darkness..."

"Yeah, but you and I didn't. We got to meet our original selves."

"So...we can be together again!" Namine exclaimed. Kiera bit her lip to keep from going "Awww!" as Roxas moved to stand by her side and smiled warmly at her. "Right. Any time Sora and Kairi are together."

Happy feeling gone, Kiera's brows furrowed slightly. _Say what? Awww, don't tell me she's __**Kairi's**__ Nobody...How the hell did THAT happen? Isn't she supposedly a pure heart? I'M CONFUSED!_

"We'll be together _every_ day," Kairi commented. "Right, Sora?"

He jumped in surprise at that one. "Uh...Right!" Kiera bit her lip for an entirely different reason at that one, but at the same time, she felt like thanking Kairi. With Kairi around, she could most likely get away with going home.

_And yet..._

Roxas and Namine smiled, and Kairi held out a hand. The Nobody looked at Kiera with a smile. "...Sorry I couldn't see you sooner. I guess we'll have to talk some other time."

Then Namine shook Kairi's hand, and both girls glowed before becoming one.

"Look sharp!" Roxas said with a laugh before closing his eyes. He and Sora became one, and Sora promptly had a spazz-out. "Huh? WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"

Kiera rolled her eyes and smacked him upside the head. "HEY! ...Cool it. You're making me nervous."

Riku laughed. "Don't worry, Spazz, you're still all you."

Kairi laughed a little as she headed for the portal. "C'mon, guys. Let's go home."

Kiera's temple throbbed. "...And?"

"Oh, sorry. C'mon, Kiera, you too."

"Aw, thanks, I'm honored," she muttered to herself. This time, Sora smacked HER upside the head. "Hey, cool it. ...You're making _me_ nervous."

She made a rather immature face at him, and all three of them laughed as they attempted to follow Kairi, who had already gone through the portal.

Before they could, however, Kairi spazzed out. "Sora! Riku! Kiera!" she exclaimed, reaching out to them. Then the portal disappeared. "Huh, what?" Sora wondered.

"Aw, I had a feeling this would happen," Kiera muttered. Far away, there was a greenish glow, and suddenly, some flying dragon-like creature soared towards them. She assumed it was Xemnas somehow.

He dove underneath the platform, knocking it and making it tilt downward. Kiera turned dangerously pale, digging her nails into one of the platform's grooves. "No, no way, I _knew_ I was gonna die due to heights!" she wailed, scared stiff.

Riku jumped off as they continued to slide. "Riku!" the other two shouted as he landed on the back of a flying contraption. "Sora, Kiera!" he shouted, and Sora looked to her.

She shook her head quickly. "Y-You can't be serious. I could never make a jump like that and you know it!"

"Isn't that what you said in the Pridelands? And what happened, what'd you do?"

Kiera avoided eye contact at that one. "...I made it."

Sora smiled reassuringly, holding out a hand. "...I'll catch you," he offered. Kiera bit her lip before whining and running after him. He grabbed her hand and yelled "NOW!", jumping off. She jumped at the same time, and they landed on the same platform. He steadied her as she swayed, grinning like an idiot.

"Can I get a thank-you?"

She simply rolled her eyes and clambered so that she was perched on the side between Sora and Riku, perfectly balanced thanks to the platform of Sora's and the vehicle itself. "Maybe after we kick this guy's ass, alright?"

"Fair enough. Until then, do me a favor and never look down from this point on. Deal?"

"Absolutely," she replied quickly, summoning her bow and arrows. As the other two gathered energy from Xemnas' contraption and shot it in the form of lasers, she used her flame-sided arrows and launched them strategically. Well, as strategically as possible when you have a fear of heights and are currently hundreds of feet above the ground in a flying machine.

After tons of flame-arrows, Kiera finally sighed heavily. "At this point, summoning my Secret Weapon would probably be less draining than all these arrows!" she exclaimed.

"If it'll help finish this battle quicker then please, by all means, SUMMON IT!" Sora shouted.

"FINE THEN!" she shouted back, summoning her Keyblade. That made his jaw drop. "Wh-Wh-Wh-WHAAAT? HOW? WHEN? WHERE?"

"The What would be a Keyblade, the How would be through summoning and imagination, the When would be during my showdown with my dad, and the Where would be in his little lab," she explained distractedly, doing the same thing they'd been doing with their Keyblades the whole time.

"Now, if you're done asking stupid questions, I'm getting _very_ tired of this battle," she snapped. "Me too, so don't slack off with that Keyblade, Newbie," he snapped right back.

They both grinned when they thought the other was busy fighting, and soon, the creature took a long dive.

"...Does that mean we won?" Kiera asked.

A few seconds later, the creature reared itself so that it was looking up at them before stirring up a wind; the cloud surrounded them, and Kiera couldn't resist the urge to grab Sora's arm for dear life as their little flying machine zoomed downward. He patted her hand without a word, and then they could see again, so she practically dove back for her spot as they both pretended nothing had happened.

Riku drove them straight onto the throne-slash-platform Xemnas had originally been located on, and they all had determined looks on their faces as they landed, jaws set.

Kiera gripped her Keyblade a little tighter as the creature zoomed away from above them, and she noticed Xemnas had actually been on the throne this whole time. Or maybe the creature had dropped him. Or maybe the throne WAS a creature itself, and that other creature – yeah, just forget it, Kiera was so confused by this battle.

Whatever the case had been before, he was now wearing what looked like a suit of armor. She supposed maybe it was Heartless armor.

Either way, they launched towards him. Not long after landing a couple blows, Kiera and Sora jumped to dodge the same attack, and she discovered that just like Sora, her Keyblade allowed her to stay suspended in mid-air longer.

Buildings were thrown towards them, and Kiera sliced through them without even registering how high up she now was. She was pissed at this point. "Damn you, you bastard, this is all your fault. It's all your fault I'm here, and all your fault I dragged Sora and my friends into my own problems. The major problem wouldn't even have _existed_ if not for you! And now I'm reopening some cuts to kick your ass, so dammit, your ass _better_ get kicked soon!" she shouted, landing on the ground in front of him.

She gripped her Keyblade so tight that she felt the hilt's design being imprinted into her palm. She jumped upward to dodge some lasers Xemnas shot in the very spot she'd been standing just moments ago.

"I'll get you for that," she shouted down to him, dodging even more attacks. After more attacks from the three of them, that familiar white light surrounded them, and they were suddenly in some new place.

* * *

The color scheme was gray and white, with patterns on the walls that reminded her somewhat of Tim Burton's style.

_Speaking_ of style, Xemnas' style had changed. He was now wearing a black and white suit with that same Tim Burton kind of design.

"Heroes from the realm of light..." he started, and Kiera made her Keyblade disappear like the other two had. "I will _not_ allow it to end this way – not yet. If light and darkness are eternal, then surely we nothings must be the same...Eternal!" he declared, spreading out his arms for emphasis.

"You're right, light and darkness _are_ eternal," Riku replied. "Nothing probably goes on forever, too. But guess what, Xemnas?"

"That doesn't mean YOU'RE eternal!" Sora answered, clenching his fist.

Xemnas chuckled. "No more eternal than that radiance of yours..." was his reply. He then looked at Kiera. "Tell me, Kiera. Do you hate me? Do you want me dead?"

"Well, let's see. You're the main reason I'm here in the first place, away from home, and the main reason I cause these people so much grief. So...No, I don't hate you."

"Oh?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow. She summoned her Keyblade, making Riku jump. "I thought you said she didn't have one!" he whispered to Sora.

"I didn't know at the time," Sora whispered back.

"I don't hate you," she repeated, assuming a battle stance. "You just REALLY piss me off!" she shouted, jumping upward as the other two attacked him from the sides.

Xemnas launched up, and Kiera used a reversal trick Sora had bragged about to avoid his attacks. Sora soon went up into the air with her, and Riku not long after.

They were doing a fine job until Xemnas launched a beam that was pretty much impossible to avoid, and it was heading right for Kiera. She was about to deflect it, willing her Keyblade with the ability to do so, but Sora pushed her out of the way and took the shot instead.

"Sora, you _dumbass_!" she shouted, her and Riku heading for him despite Xemnas' obstacles. She dove downward, zooming up to drive her Keyblade in a sweeping motion upwards. It got him in the crotch.

Riku and Sora couldn't help but laugh as Xemnas immediately dropped his hold on Sora, groaning as Kiera and Sora exchanged a fistbump. "Nice one."

"Thanks."

"Is that the best you've got?" Riku asked with a smirk, making Xemnas growl to himself. After a few hits each, Sora and Kiera double-teamed; he grabbed her by her waist and launched her towards Xemnas. She flipped mid-air, launching laser-like beams at Xemnas while doing so, and Sora charged for him. They both attacked him at the same time, front and back.

He groaned before making an orb in his hands. The three watched as they were surrounded by darkness, Xemnas above them. He suddenly made all these laser beams appear, and they had to dodge them all.

"This is like a disco gone horribly, horribly, HORRIBLY wrong!" Kiera exclaimed, dodging them all by mostly sheer dumb luck. This was way over her head as far as Keyblade usage went. Suddenly, Xemnas went all-out on attacking Riku.

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed as Xemnas used what looked like light sabers and knocked Riku out of the equation. "Sora!" Riku shouted, handing Sora his Keyblade. He attacked Xemnas with both Keyblades, and when Sora landed again, he and Riku touched hands against his Keyblade.

As they charged up a beam, Xemnas started laughing. He moved out of the way of the beam right before it had completely shot itself out, and Kiera shook her head. "Oh, _hell_ no!" she protested, running towards the beam.

"Kiera, the hell're you doing?" Sora called out in alarm, obviously thinking she was stupid enough to take the shot for whatever reason.

She held out her Keyblade at a rather odd angle, causing the beam to deflect off of it and head right for Xemnas. "...No..."

Kiera smirked. "Yes. This shit...ends...NOW," she growled, feeling very satisfied as the beam hit him. He groaned, and she watched as Sora charged for the Organization leader. "Actually, you're wrong. The shit ends...NOW!" he shouted, landing the final blow on Xemnas.

They all watched in awe as a sort of vortex appeared, sucking Xemnas in as he stretched out a hand to them.

Kiera crossed her arms, looking over at Sora after making her Keyblade disappear. "...You always have to one-up me, donchya?"

"Of course I do. But hey, what does that matter? WE DID IT!" he cheered, holding out his fist. She sighed and rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself as she fistbumped him.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..." Riku commented as what looked like hundreds of Dusks appeared, surrounding them.

Kiera groaned and summoned her Keyblade right back again. "Okay. Well. I guess the shit never DOES end, it just piles up."

"Looks that way," Sora agreed.

Suddenly, after the familiar blinding white light surrounded them, all the Dusks just plain disappeared. Riku was on his knees, panting. "Sora...I can't."

"Don't say another word. It's not over. It's just not," Sora interrupted, him and Kiera supporting Riku's weight.

"How can you say that?" he asked. "Even if we _could_ go on, look where we are..."

"Aw, c'mon Riku! You've been hangin' out in the darkness for too long. You gotta try and think positive!" Sora said with a grin, making Kiera smile too.

Riku glanced up at him tiredly. "...Sora? You lead."

"Got it."

"...Because otherwise, Kiera would get us lost," he added thoughtfully. Kiera's temple throbbed majorly. "HEY! Watch it! ...What do YOU know about my direction skills, anyways?" she muttered.

Sora snickered. "Probably the obvious: you have none."

"...Sora?"

"Hm?"

"SIT."

_**THUD.**_

"Owww..."

"Thanks," Riku commented simply, Kiera having kept him from falling with Sora. "Yeah, I _better_ get a 'thanks'," she replied before throwing over her shoulder, "Oh, Sora, you can get up now."

"Gee, thanks, how kind," he said dully, practically running to catch up with them. Riku chuckled and shook his head, and after a few moments, he cleared his throat.

"You know...I always figured I was better at stuff than you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Mm."

"...You mad?"

"Nah. I kinda always thought you were better at everything, too." He smiled at Riku, making Kiera grin like an idiot after feeling how happy he was.

"Riku, Kiera – look. What's that light?" he asked suddenly. The two looked and saw there was a bright light forming almost right in front of them.

* * *

They were engulfed by it, and they ended up at some sort of beach. Kiera looked around with awe at the beach. _Same gray ocean...same low moon...same twisted rocks that look like branches...How frigging weird is THAT? ...Then again...I guess my whole situation's been weird my whole life, I just didn't know it..._

"The end of the road?" Riku suggested.

"Yep," Sora replied. All three of them stood there staring at it all, and Kiera shook her head with a laugh. "I have the weirdest dreams..."

"Huh?"

"What? Oh, nothing, Sora. Nothing at all."

"Hey, you two can put me down. I can walk." Sora and Kiera glanced at each other before doing so. She ran over to the edge of the shore, taking off her shoes as she went and flinging them behind her.

Once she finally reached the edge, she dug her toes into the sand, laughing a little as the ocean crashed over her feet. "Ahhh, this is great." Sora stood to her left, looking extremely amused by how happy she was. Suddenly, she had a thought. "...Hey, Sora, I just realized something."

"What?"

"If you mix Xemnas around a little, it spells out...Mansex!" she declared, making Sora sweatdrop heavily. "...Mansex."

"Yeah, Mansex. Xemnas equals Mansex. And with that outfit and hairstyle, and obsession with hearts...Yeah, I can see that."

They stared at each other for a few moments, then burst into laughter. "Mansex!"

"Yeah, Mansex!"

"That's hilarious!"

"I know!"

"Not really, though!"

"I know, but I'm still laughing!"

"I think it's stress!"

"Yeah! Hahahahaha!"

After they calmed down, Sora watched her wiggle her toes before making a clicking noise in his throat. "...Y'know, Destiny Islands is even better than this."

She sighed heavily, glancing back at Riku, who had collapsed onto the sand. "Sora – Oh crap, Riku, are you alright?" she asked, secretly at least a little glad for the subject change. ...Concerned all the same, though, of course.

She and Sora ran to his side, and he struggled to push himself up. "This world is perfect for me...if this is what the world really is. ...Just this...Maybe I should fade back into darkness."

"Riku..."

"If the world is made of light and darkness...We'll be the darkness."

Sora sat on his ass with finality. "Yeah...The other side. The light side is safe now. Kairi, the King, and the others are there."

"That's what I mean. Hey, Sora...Could you help me? I want to get down to the water."

Kiera sat and watched with a slight smile as Sora helped him to the shore. "At least the waves sound the same," Riku commented thoughtfully. Once they were sitting on the shore, Kiera stretched out on the sand a good twenty feet behind them, laying on her back as she closed her eyes.

Now that everything seemed peaceful, she could finally attempt to heal at least some of her injuries. While the two talked, she went to work healing some of her minor ones, knowing she'd never have enough energy to heal even half of one major injury – her burns, for example.

"What I said back there...about thinking I was better at stuff than you...To tell the truth, Sora, I was jealous of you."

"What for?"

"I wished I could live life the way you do. Just...following my heart."

_Following your heart...And everything turning out right. Jeez, that sounds awesome. ...I don't blame you, Riku, it doesn't seem fair, does it? Ow, SHIT! _Kiera thought with a wince as another sharp pain brought to her attention that she wasn't as great at healing as she thought.

"Yeah, well, I've got _my _share of problems, too."

"Like what?"

"Like...wanting to be like you."

"Well, there is _one _advantage to being me...Something you could never imitate."

"Really? What's that?" Sora asked with curiosity and slight eagerness.

"Having you for a friend." _Awww, don't make me cry,_ Kiera thought miserably with a slight sniffle.

"And I guess I'm fine the way I am," Sora relented. "Besides, I've got something you could never imitate, too."

Kiera momentarily blacked out after that due to being such a sappy idiot that she was too busy trying to sit up and see what they were doing to notice that she was using too much of her energy.

When she slipped back into consciousness, she heard the ruffling of paper inbetween the waves crashing. "...Sora?"

"Hm?"

"I think this is for you," Riku commented. Kiera twisted every which way so that she could see what was happening while still being flat on her back, and noticed what looked like a letter in Riku's hand. Sora took it, reading it over.

"'Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows? Starting a new journey may not be so hard, or maybe it's already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky. One sky, one destiny. - Kairi'."

Kiera had to admit, that was pretty well-worded. She sort of wished she could learn to talk like that. _...Maybe I can one day. In fact, as soon as my fingers stop shaking, I'll sit down and write something even better than that,_ she thought with a determined nod.

Suddenly, brilliant yellow-white light shimmered before them, forming into a giant door. "Light," Riku commented simply. Sora jumped to his feet in disbelief. "The Door to Light!"

He held out his hand to Riku. "We'll go together."

"Yeah," he replied after a few moments, taking Sora's hand he offered and staggering to his feet. Kiera struggled to sit up herself. "Hey, wait for me!" she more-or-less croaked, making them turn to look at her.

Sora rolled his eyes and ran over to her, picking her up before she could protest. Of course, she _still _protested. "Sora, dammit, put me down!"

"C'mon, you're too slow," he replied simply, smirking as the three of them walked (in Kiera's case, huffed as she was carried) through the Door to Light.

She squeezed her eyes shut at the immense...well, light, that surrounded her, and suddenly, she was surrounded by water.

* * *

Kiera opened her eyes to see she was surrounded by crystal-clear ocean, and she struggled to the surface. Sora's hand reached for hers, and she swatted it away, coming to the surface all on her own.

Of course, she coughed and sputtered and all-around looked like a nearly-drowned cat, making Riku and Sora laugh.

"Shoulda just lemme help you," he commented between laughs.

"Don't make me sit you," she threatened half-heartedly, yawning with drooping eyelids. "Sora! Riku! ...Kiera!" Kairi called out. They turned towards the shore to see her standing there, waving at them.

The two boys swam like crazy towards her, while Kiera simply teleported. She landed in a heap on the beach, by Kairi's feet, panting. "Are you alright?" Kairi asked, looking down at her.

Kiera held up a shaking hand, making it go back and forth. "M-More or less. Just...really tired."

Sora ran towards Kairi, but was interrupted by the arrival of Goofy, Donald, and King Mickey. They bounded towards him, glomping him and making him fall into the ocean. Kiera watched with a smile as everyone hugged each other and cheered and whatnot.

Her face fell, however, when Donald and Goofy swiveled their sights onto her. "...No...No...NONONONONO!"

"KIERAAA!"

"NOOOO!" she wailed, being glomped by them and hugged as well. "MY SPLEEN!"

"KIERA!"

"...I love you guys," she finally said between laughs, hugging them as well. After struggling to get some air, gasping dramatically, she saw Sora hand Kairi some kind of charm. "W...We're back!" he announced.

Kairi held out a hand to him, smiling. "You're home."

Kiera laughed some more as Donald and Goofy finally got off her, helping her to her feet. "Th-Thanks guys."

"Great job, Kiera! I'm so proud of how well you've done!" Mickey praised, hugging her legs. Kiera grinned, picking him up and hugging him. "C'mere, Your Majesty, I grew up watching your cartoons and DREAMED of the day I'd get to hug ya!" she practically squealed as he gasped for air while laughing.

After Kiera set Mickey down, Sora grinned at her. "We did it."

She nodded, holding out her fist. "Damn straight we did it!"

He held out his fist to bump hers before shaking his head. "Naaah," he said simply before grabbing her wrist and pulling her into a hug. After a few seconds, she smiled to herself before hugging him. "Just this once," she relented.

"Uh-huh."

"And not for you, but because I'm happy and really tired."

"Of course, Kiera."

"It has nothing to do with you."

"Never does."

"Exactly."

"Uh-huh."

"Stop saying it like that!"

"Mmhm."

"...Thank you," she whispered into his ear before tightening her grip just a little. "Thank YOU," was his reply. "...For being the funnest pain in the ass the worlds have ever seen."

She huffed at that one, making him laugh as they pulled away from each other. Riku grinned and held out a hand. "...I promise I won't make you hug me."

Kiera laughed and shook it, and Kairi suddenly hugged her. "Um..."

"Thanks. ...For keeping Sora safe," she said near her ear. Kiera patted her back before muttering "Aw, what the hell," and hugging her briefly. "It was my pleasure."

Once that was over, Sora looked at Donald, Goofy, and Mickey. "...You'll visit us, right?"

They laughed. "Of course we will!" They then looked at Kiera, who shrugged. "...If someone has a wheelchair waiting for me, I'll teleport myself over here from time to time."

"What? You're not _staying_?" Sora asked.

"You _know _I'm not!"

"Awww..."

She rolled her eyes. "Later. You can nag me about it later."

"Fine."

"Um, until then...Can someone get me to a hospital or something?" Kiera asked with a nervous laugh, making everyone sweatdrop after noticing she was leaning on a palm tree for support while her whole body quivered from exhaustion.

Sora rolled his eyes and picked her up. She didn't protest this time. "...Just this once –"

"Yeah yeah, nothing to do with me, just tired and happy, I get it," he rattled off with another eyeroll, making the others laugh as they followed.

"Yeah, well...RAWR."

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE **__**DAYS **__**LATER**__**...**_

Kiera waved off the random nurse once they got outside, hopping out of the wheelchair. "I'm fine, really, good as new!"

"If you say so," she replied doubtfully, folding up the wheelchair. "You take care of yourself, Ms. Sage."

"Will do, ma'am."

With that, she ran the whole way to Destiny Islands – the part separate from the mainland, the place Sora kept bugging her about going to.

Apparently, it was supposed to change her mind about leaving somehow. At least, that's what Riku said Sora's theory was. Kiera rolled her eyes and shook her head. "...He really isn't the brightest crayon in the Crayola box, so I guess I'm not all that surprised."

When she finally got there, Riku was walking in the opposite direction. "Hey, Riku."

He grinned. "You're alive!"

"Oh, wow, you're hilarious. Is Sora down there?"

"Far as I know. I've gotta go move around some timber on the mainland. ...Try not to kill each other before I get back," he added over his shoulder as he jogged away.

"I can't make any promises," she replied, making him chuckle as he left. Kiera shook her head and walked the rest of the way, deciding that due to the stitch in her side, running after being discharged from a hospital was _not_ a good start to the day.

Even if the sun _was _setting, so it was technically the END of the day.

She found Sora leaning against a tree that looked sort of wonky; it had grown sideways. It was really thick, and close enough to the ground that she could jump up on it and sit if she wanted to. Though jumping was the last thing she wanted to do, her legs had enough bruises as it was.

"So. _This _is where you hang out," she commented suddenly, making him jump. He grinned. "You're alive!"

"Why does everyone say that like it's such a surprise?" she wondered with a sweatdrop.

"Because it's _you _we're talking about."

"I'm VERY capable, thank you very much!"

"Uh-huh. Sure you are. How could I _possibly _doubt that."

"I dunno, Sora. Either way, you begged me to show up, and here I am!" she replied cheerfully, waving her arms for emphasis. Sora sweatdropped as she winced and immediately brought her arms down. "Ow, shit..."

"You came straight here once you were discharged, didn't you?"

"Maybe."

"Idiot."

"Possibly."

"She admits it!"

"Slightly."

"Good enough."

"Rawr."

"Rawr to you, too."

"No, that's against the rules!"

"You know what else is against the rules?"

"Pissing me off?"

"Nope. Leaving. Who in their right mind would want to leave all THIS?" he asked in disbelief, gesturing to the island and the ocean for emphasis.

Kiera shrugged, looking at the ocean. "...I'm _not _in my right mind. Never was. You know that."

He sighed glumly. "...You're _really _leaving soon, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. As soon as I get a good night's sleep."

There was a silence until he suddenly asked, "Why?".

"Why what?"

"Why do you wanna leave? Is it 'cause I piss you off so much? Is it 'cause of Kairi? She's really nice once you let her rub off on you, I swear! Is it 'cause you haven't got anywhere to stay? Because I'm sure my mom won't mind, and Kairi's got tons of room down at the Mayor's house. You can go to school _here_, you know, and –"

Kiera shook her head and held up a hand, cutting him off. "No, Sora, it's none of that! ...Although, you DO piss me off a lot. I've gotta leave. It's how things are supposed to go. You belong in Destiny Islands. I belong on Earth. That's just the way it is. ...Besides, I'm homesick enough as it is. It may sound weird, but I...I miss my momma. I miss my other family, too. And if I stay here long enough, I'm gonna forget them. I can tell already. ...Destiny Islands has the same effect Neverland had on Wendy and her brothers. You know, when they started to forget their parents? Same thing. ...Although, I guess forgetting about Dad wouldn't be so bad," she added thoughtfully.

He perked up at that, probably already thinking of a way to sway her again, and she sighed before he even said anything. "Just let it go. I'm going home."

Sora drooped as she hopped up onto the wonky tree despite her judgement from before about it. Kiera smiled a little, nudging his shoulder with her foot. "Hey. It's not like I'll never be coming back, y'know."

He glanced up at that, perking up again. "You promise you'll come back?"

"Promise."

He hopped onto the tree as well, grinning like an idiot now. "I..._guess _you can leave then. ...But come back next week."

Her temple throbbed. "Sora, you dumbass, if I come here weekly I'll end up in a coma! All that energy, I mean, are you _kidding _me?"

That made him laugh, and she was about to make him sit when something hit her on the head. "Ow!" she exclaimed, and Sora caught the object before it fell. It was star-shaped, with a green stem-like cap on the top point and what looked like leaves on the bottom two points. "The hell is _that_?" she asked.

"It's a paopu fruit."

"...Oh. Is it yummy?"

"I dunno, I've never had one," he commented thoughtfully, glancing up to try and figure out where the hell it might've come from considering the tree had grown basically sideways and out.

"Well then, try it," she suggested. He shrugged and ate some before nodding. "Not bad. ...You want some of it?" he asked, flushing a little.

Kiera eyed him suspiciously. "...Why do you look all...like _that_? What does the fruit do?" Then she sweatdropped at herself. "I watch too many crime shows..."

Sora looked down at the fruit as she scrutinized him. "Well, uh, legend goes that if two people share one, their destinies get intertwined. Basically, they'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what," he explained, flushing even more.

Kiera smiled at that before shaking her head at him, smacking him upside the head. "Ow!"

"Sora, what's the point of that? We'll be with each other forever _anyways_, stupid," she commented, making him smile. She ended up tearing off a piece of the fruit and eating it anyways. "Hmm...tangy," she said thoughtfully, nodding in approval after swallowing it.

"Hey. Sora."

"Mm?"

"Do sunsets always look like this here?" she asked suddenly.

"Usually."

"Hmm...I guess I'll have to come back soon and see it again."

"Yeah, you will."

"...Sora?"

"Yeah."

"Will you chew me out if I don't show up for weeks?"

"Probably."

"Ah. In that case, I guess I should wait for FOREVER to show up!"

"WHAT? ...Kiera, that's not even funny!"

"_I _found it funny," she said between laughs at how alarmed his expression had been. He shook his head. "You've got a cruel sense of humor."

She grinned, pretending not to notice as he strategically scooted closer to her every ten seconds. "Only when it's at your expense."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Kiera, did you _really _steal a slice of my cake?"

"DOES THAT REALLY _MATTER_?"

"THAT'S A YES, _ISN'T _IT!"

"YES, AND IT WAS SO GODDAMN YUMMY, SO...RAWR!"

"RAWR MY _ASS_, YOU GET BACK HERE!"

"NO WAY!"

"KIERAAAA!"


	46. Sequel's Posted!

**Ah, good news! The sequel's now up and posted! **

**It's titled "Why Does It HAVE To Be You?" (referring back to the whole Gatekeepers title and whatnot) xD**

**Oh, I'd also like to say that in the author's note of my 2nd chapp, whenever I post it, I'll include what was left out of the author's note from the last chapp of the first fic. Well, anyway, you can find it either via my profile or via the Kingdom Hearts game section of Fan Fiction.**

**Read, review, enjoy! :D**

**AND HAPPY ST. PATTIE'S DAY. **


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